Pinoy to do 160 hrs of community work for indecent assault on OFW leader

Magistrate said case was at "low end"of the offence

By Vir B. Lumicao

(May 2, 2018)

A technician convicted in Eastern Court on two counts of indecent assault on a Filipina community leader has been sentenced to 160 hours of community service.

Jesnar Bade, the 55-year-old offender, cried when Magistrate Cheung Kit-yee pronounced the sentence earlier today after receiving a copy of the community service report submitted by the defense lawyer.

He had been in custody since being convicted of the offence on Mar 27.

Bade had pleaded not guilty to indecently assaulting the victim identified only as “Miss X”, who testified in open court about the incident in late July last year.  Bade chose not to give evidence.

“All women should be protected in their workplaces,” Cheung said, noting that Bade committed the two counts of indecent assault right in the workplace of the victim.

But the magistrate said she accepted the recommendation of the probation officer for  community service after considering the merits of the case, which she described as being at the low end of the indecent assault bracket, as well as Bade’s background.

She said it was the technician’s first offense; he had been working hard all his life; he had shown deep remorse and willingness to do community service, and he had the support of his wife, who was present in the courtroom.

Cheung ordered Bade to do 160 hours of community work on each charge to be served concurrently, specifying 8 hours of service every Sunday under the supervision of the probation officer.

She warned that in case of any breach of the probation order, the court would cancel the community service and impose a new sentence.

Miss X, married and a mother of three girls, testified that in late July last year, Bade embraced her from behind twice, trying to touch her breasts, when the technician was sent by his company G4S, to fix the alarm system at her employer’s house.

She said the assaults happened while she was learning how to bypass the alarm system. Each time, she said, she covered her breasts with her arms and halted Bade’s advances by elbowing him and telling him to stop.