MANILA – Kabataan party-list has removed a member accused of sexual misconduct.
In a statement, the party-list organization indicated that they have been aware of the incident since April and carried out an internal investigation.
The member in question was further prohibited from participating in the group’s activities and accessing its premises after the alleged misconduct came to light.
Earlier this week, a social media user and also a member of Kabataan published a sequence of posts on Facebook, alleging that a fellow member sexually assaulted her on three distinct occasions.
Julius Cariaga, the national president of Kabataan party-list, stated on Facebook that they are prepared to assist the survivor in pursuing a legal complaint against the expelled member.
“With consent from the aggrieved, we fully support the possible filing of legal charges against said accused for remedies beyond the authority of the organization,” Cariaga said.
He added that Kabataan has also provided mental health consultations and other emotional and organizational support to the survivor.
“We stand with our member who came forward, and we are firm in our commitment to hold the perpetrator accountable,” Cariaga said.
“We understand that our efforts though have not been sufficient so far and it has led to her disillusionment in the organization itself,” he added.
Kabataan, a progressive organization representing the youth, was elected to one House seat in the 20th Congress./PN
