CEBU CITY — Five persons are facing criminal charges for their alleged involvement in the mauling of British chef Jason Atherton in a resto bar in Barangay Kasambagan here last year.
A Cebu City prosecutor has recommended the filing of charges in court against Butch Prieto Soreno, Inaki Ramon Bernedo Ibarlucea, Jericho Leonardi Porras Bolongan, Richard Doncillo Cervantes, and Doughlas Cervantes.
In her resolution, Assistant City Prosecutor Misty Leah Escolar-Hupp found probable cause to charge Soreno for violation of the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act (Republic Act No. 7610).
Hupp also found probable cause to charge the four other respondents for violating the Safe Spaces Act (RA No. 11313) or the Anti-Bastos Law.
All five respondents will also be facing complaints for violating the Revised Penal Code for physical injuries before the court.
There were six respondents in the case but the assistant city prosecutor cleared Neil Pepito for lack of evidence.
Atty. Inocencio dela Cerna, legal counsel of the respondents, said they will answer the cases in court.
The mauling incident happened last December but Soreno, Ibarlucea, Bolongan, and the Cervanteses claimed that it was Atheron who instigated the fight.
In his complaint, the British chef denied starting the fight.
Atherton said her daughter was queuing in the lavatory of the establishment when she was allegedly approached twice by Soreno.
The chef accused Soreno of asking her to have sexual intercourse with him inside the restroom.
Soreno denied the allegations, saying he merely asked the 17-year-old how she was doing but she reportedly told him to back off.
In the resolution, the assistant prosecutor said Atherton’s allegations were backed by closed-circuit television camera (CCTV) footage.
“The child Keziah's allegation that she was approached twice by Butch Soreno while she was waiting for her turn at the toilet is corroborated by the CCTV recordings…The CCTV recordings and the turn-of-events on that fateful night better support the allegation of the complainant,” the fiscal said.
“Respondents’ denial about any intention of violating the child's safety or doing any act to vex her are matters that can only be fully threshed upon during a full-blown hearing. Their actuations as reflected in the CCTV recordings are enough to establish probable cause against them,” she said.