Vargas Files 20 Counts of Cyber Libel

It disheartens and extremely bothers me to see kids suffer because of bullying. I've gone through the same in elementary and high school, and even though I've turned out okay, it is still not right for situations like these to be treated as a norm. I remember not telling my parents about it because I felt it was going to be an additional burden for them to go through that. It's already 2026, and certainly, it SHOULD STOP.

A few weeks ago, the Vargas family chose to stand up for their child and file a case formally. With various efforts beforehand, they've exerted and exhausted various ways to have this settled, but it has not stopped. A few days ago, they released this statement:

The message is clear, they do not want "bullying" to proliferate in the community. They wanted to do this silently, and never wanted confrontation to begin with. They also reiterated their call to choose kindness, to put a stop on hurting people with defamatory words especially online. They thank those who sent their support as they admit they wouldn't be able to do this alone. They also added that they want this to go through the process, with evidence, and believe the truth will come out, and justice be served. 

They filed 20 counts of cyber libel, to protect not just her husband, the kid, but their whole name and family. This certainly is a hard thing to see in public, but I see they are doing this for their boy, and standing behind him is all worth it.

Ask yourself, what would you do if you were in their shoes?

Vargas Files Case Versus Parents of Bully

Hearing about this case just made me worry so much about folks who could be in the same predicament. QC Councilor Alfred Vargas and his wife Yasmine is taking a tough stand after their son has allegedly experienced bullying from a minor while doing swimming activities. 

They filed a complaint against the minor's parents at the Office of the City Prosecutor of Manila. The file listed respondents as Juvelle Bacosa, Robert Vincent Sy. This is in violation of Section 10a of RA 7610 commonly known as the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act. According to them, the minor had repeatedly pushed and held the son of the Vargas' while underwater, all during the duration of swimming and training sessions. They have noted repeated incidents, short of drowning, in which the Vargas' communicated, reminded and appealed to stop. Ms. Yasmine in one instance saw the minor engage in inappropriate acts, where she informed the parent but only downplayed and got gaslit by the mother. 

Things took a huge turn last February during a competition at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex. Several parents saw the minor push their son during warm ups, where two others (friends of the minor) laughed. This has brought their son severe physical and emotional stress. It was the final straw. 

According to Vargas, the mother acted as if nothing happened when it was brought to her attention, then posted online misrepresenting the incident. He says "As a Father, there are a few things you can't endure, to see your own son get oppressed. We should have done it sooner, and this is just some of the few things they did to our son. This isn't just child's play, and we simply cannot ignore this."

The complaint also indicated how they both have failed to supervise and discipline the minor, cited how dangerous it is to continue. He adds "We choose to fight back, not for revenge, but to make sure our son gets protected, it is for him and the others who are afraid to speak up!"

Vargas has always been a staunch supporter of protecting the rights of a child. He has discussed this in the QC council, on how parents should be held accountable especially on bullying incidents. He hopes a systemic reporting procedure be done to protect them and their families. He also hopes this inspires those who suffer the same fate.

Here's hoping JUSTICE be served!

Baron and Jake Star in Netflix's DELIVERY RIDER!

When you're tired and hungry from work or have an online shopping order coming from Timbuktu, you only have one man for the job, the DELIVERY RIDER. This is the same title of a new action drama movie starring Baron Geisler, Euwenn Mikaell and Jake Cuenca. They held a press conference for it a few days ago in Dean and Deluca in Quezon City so we had the pleasure of talking with the cast and its director Lester Pimentel Ong. For those who don't know, he's the same guy who did hit series Incognito. This just means we're going to have a lot of expectations which I'm quite sure he'll deliver because he's that good. 

Baron plays a man in the autism spectrum, brought up and trained with martial arts, whilst having innate fighting skills. He also wishes for independence and inclusion just like those in his condition, in hopes to stay away from usual stereotypes. He says "This is sort of a gift for those who are under the spectrum, made meticulously for their parents and those who love them. Santo is certainly mad at the world he lives in but always seem to be kind. This is his strength and you'll see that in every delivery he does in the film."

Playing the role of his son is Euwenn Mikaell, who's had a fruitful 2023 when he won Best Child Actor at MMFF. Jake Cuenca on the other hand will play a gang leader's son. He says "I immediately said yes to this project because it was an opportunity to work with a talented actor Baron and one of my favorite directors Direk Lester. When we finished filming, we had a sense of respect with each other's work especially since we had a ringside experience where we spent most of the day talking with each other." 

He's certainly excited to see this on the platform and shares you should be too because they are also doing this with Jennica Garcia, Malou De Guzman, Soliman Cruz, Joem Bascon, Richard Quan and JC Alcantara who's got real skills when it comes to these type of shows. Make sure you subscribe!