Quezon City Councilor-actor Alfred Vargas and his wife, Yasmine, filed a criminal complaint against the parents of a minor who allegedly bullied and physically abused their son during swimming sessions.

The complaint was filed before the Office of the City Prosecutor of Manila on April 13 after the respondents allegedly violated Section 10(a) of Republic Act No. 7610, also known as the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.

In a statement released by the Vargas couple, the case stems from a series of incidents in which the respondents’ minor child repeatedly pushed the Vargas son underwater during swimming training sessions.

The dangerous incidents occurred multiple times despite the Vargas family's repeated efforts to reach out to the bully’s parents and urge them to intervene and control their child’s behavior.

“Mayroon pa ngang ginawa yung bully na hindi talaga appropriate at sobrang sakit sa kalooban namin. Kinadyot niya yung anak ko sa malaswang paraan at nung nakita ng misis ko at sinabi sa nanay, tinawanan pa ng nanay at sinabi, ‘He’s just dancing!’” Vargas said, recounting the disturbing encounter. (The bully did something truly inappropriate and deeply hurtful to us. He touched my son in a lewd manner, and when my wife saw it and reported it to the mother, she just laughed it off and said, ‘He’s just dancing!)”

“Every time we approached the parents to resolve these issues, we were either dismissed or gaslighted,” he added.

Matters came to a head during a swimming competition held at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex last February.

During the event, Vargas and several witnesses saw the minor shove his son near the side of the pool during the warm-up period, nearly injuring the child just moments before the competition.

Following the incident, two of the bully’s companions laughed at his son as the child lay on the ground — an experience that left him visibly shaken and emotionally distressed.

Vargas recounted that when he brought the incident to the bully’s mother, she shrugged it off and acted as though nothing had happened.

Adding insult to injury, the mother began posting misleading content about the situation online and has continued to do so.

“Bilang ama, may isang bagay na hindi mo kayang tiisin: ang makita ang anak mo na inaapi,” Vargas said in a statement — “As a father, there is one thing you cannot bear: seeing your child being bullied.”

“Our only regret is that we did not do this sooner,” he added. “Ilan lang ang mga ito sa marami pang ginawa sa anak ko. Hindi ito simpleng ‘away ng bata.’ Hindi ito bagay na dapat palampasin,” he continued. (These are just some of the many things done to my son. This is not a simple kids’ quarrel. This is not something that should be overlooked.)”

In their complaint, the Vargas couple argued that the respondents failed in their legal duty under the Family Code to properly supervise and discipline their child.

Despite being aware of previous similar incidents during swimming sessions, the parents allegedly took no effective steps to prevent the dangerous behavior from recurring.

The couple contends that this negligence enabled acts harmful to their child’s welfare, constituting child abuse under Section 10(a) of RA 7610 — a law that penalizes acts causing psychological or emotional suffering, even without physical injury, as affirmed by established jurisprudence.

“Bullying is not normal. It is not harmless. It is not acceptable. Maaari sanang maiwasan ang insidente na ito kung hindi napabayaan ang bata ng magulang. Kaya ngayon, pinili naming lumaban. Hindi para maghiganti, kundi para manindigan para sa anak ko at para sa lahat ng batang natatakot magsalita,” Vargas said. (This incident could have been prevented had the parents not neglected their child. So now we've chosen to fight. Not for revenge, but to stand up for my son and for all children who are afraid to speak up.)”

A longtime advocate for child protection, Vargas has previously called on the Quezon City Council to address parental accountability in bullying cases. He has also voiced support for national measures to strengthen anti-bullying policies and reporting systems in schools.

By pursuing this case, Vargas hopes to set an example for families who have endured similar experiences in silence.

“Kung ikaw ay naging biktima ng bullying, o magulang na dumaan dito, alam kong hindi ito madali. Pero hindi tayo puwedeng manat