Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte visits on Friday, August 26 the wake of the 3-year-old boy who died after allegedly being maltreated by his stepfather in Matina, Pangi. Duterte said she will hire a a private prosecutor to pursue charges against the boy’s parents. (City Information Officer)
DAVAO CITY — Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio visited the wake of the 3-year-old boy who died after allegedly being maltreated by his stepfather in Matina Pangi, on Wednesday, August 24.
Kean Gabriel, 3, was declared dead on arrival when his family brought him to the Southern Philippines Medical Center.
According to police, the boy’s stepfather, Sonny Boy Mendoza, 22 put him inside a sack and placed him on top of a shelf inside their room. The police said Mendoza’s two other children reported that he intentionally let the sack with the boy inside fall the bamboo floor several times until the child passed out.
The police said the boy was brought to the health center first before he was rushed to the SPMC.
Duterte, who is pregnant with triplets, said she is both heartbroken and furious over the boy’s death.
“Late na kaayo ta. Wala na ta’y mabuhat kay Kean (We came in late. We can no longer save Kean),” the mayor said.
She told the boy’s grandfather to report abuses against children. “Dapat i-report ninyo ang mga kaso sa pag-abuso sa mga bata, mga kaso sa rape…ayaw ninyo binuangi ang mga bata (Report all abuses against children, cases of rape. Do not hurt your children),” she said.
Duterte said she will hire a private prosecutor to pursue the appropriate charges against Mendoza and his mother.
A team from the Davao City Social Services and Development Office were also sent to take care of the other children of the couple, one of them is only 1-year-old. (davaotoday.com)
