Body of boy, 8, found off city port

Thursday, January 27, 2011

VANESSA Amay was confident her eight-year-old son Vrile Dave was still alive, until the boy’s body was found floating in the sea off Pier 1 past 7 a.m. yesterday.

“Wa man jud ko ma-kulbai. Nagtuo jud ko nga buhi akong anak (I did not feel any fear.

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I was confident that my son was alive),” a teary-eyed Vanessa told news reporters.

Vanessa, 24, said Vrile Dave was a survivor. He was a premature baby, having been born on the seventh month.

He stayed in a hospital for two months, dependent on the liquids fed to him through a dropper.

Early last year, Vanessa reportedly rescued Vrile Dave from the brother of her estranged husband Valentin who lived in Alegria.

She said Vrile Dave’s uncle allegedly made the child eat chicken dung and beat him.

She added that her son’s penis bore burn scars allegedly inflicted by the uncle.

She said the brother of her estranged husband is wanted by the police in Alegria.

Vrile Dave, who turned eight years old last month, was the eldest of four children Vanessa bore with Valentin. She has a six-month-old child with her present live-in partner.

Vanessa and Valentin separated in July last year.

During the heavy downpour last Tuesday morning, Vanessa said she was with her live-in partner serving as a conductor of the jeepney that latter was driving.

She said she entrusted her children to her mother and her stepfather.

Based on the information she gathered, Vrile Dave was playing in the rain.

Someone reportedly asked Vrile Dave to throw a bag of garbage to the Kamputhaw River.

The boy had gone down to the river to comply and was swept away by the flash flood around 10 a.m.

Vanessa said she only learned about incident past noon of the same day.

Valentin, in a separate interview, blamed Vanessa for his son’s death.

Valentin said Vanessa should have stayed and taken care of their children instead of going out with her live-in partner.

Vrile Dave will be buried this Saturday.