Kabataan Partylist probes internal abuse allegations

MANILA — A youth party-list group is investigating allegations of sexual assault against one of its members, who has reportedly been placed under preventive suspension pending final disciplinary action.

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Kabataan Party-List disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, June 3, following a viral post over the weekend in which the victim urged the organization to take the welfare of its members more seriously, especially in cases involving abuse by one of its own.

“The member-accused, from the time the report was received, was confronted and eventually placed under preventive suspension to ensure the integrity of the investigation and welfare of the members,” Kabataan Party-List National President Julius Cantiga said.

What happened? In a June 1 post, the victim shared that she was sexually abused in a shared living area for centralized members, where there were no separate quarters for men and women.

She said the absence of safeguards — including clear divisions, oversight and security measures — may have allowed the assault to happen. If these were in place, she said the abuse would have been prevented.

She also questioned the organization’s commitment to supporting survivors, pointing to delays in resolving cases and in removing victims from the place where the abuse took place.