YUCKIE UNCLE!

Uncle jailed for lasciviousness
By Ramil D. Soliveres

VIRAC, Catanduanes – Applying the Indeterminate Sentence Law, the Regional Trial Court here on August 15 has ordered the incarceration of a man for a period of two months to four years after the sexual assault charge filed against him was downgraded to the offense of acts of lasciviousness, a violation of Art. 336 of the Revised Penal Code.

Records of the RTC Branch 43 here show that Romeo B. Tapanan of Barangay Balatohan, San Miguel, Catanduanes has been accused of sexually assaulting his own niece last October 2, 2007. The suspect allegedly inserted by intimidation and force his finger into the victim’s private part to consummate the sexual assault.

The case, while pending, was archived in July 2008 when the accused could not be brought to court. It was only on August 2, this year that suspect Tapanan was finally arrested.

When arraigned, the accused entered a plea of not guilty. During the joint preliminary and pre-trial conference, a settlement was reached between the parties considering that the accused and the victim’s mother are siblings. However, the family of the victim wished to impose conditions in order to reform Tapanan. Thus, the court suggested that the accused enter a plea of guilty to qualify him for probation even as the prosecution agreed to downgrade the offense to acts of lasciviousness.

The Revised Penal Code says that any person who shall commit any act of lasciviousness upon other persons of either sex shall be punished by prision correccional.

All I can say is KADIRI. If I have to punish Mr. Tapanan, I would cut his uhm and leave him bleeding. No, I would place his fingers inside an oven. No, I would grill his legs and let him eat his flesh. No, ahh, I’m running out of ideas. Anyway, those are only Ifs…. Since I don’t have the right to judge nor to punish anyone, I’ll leave it all to God.