THE arraignment of the mother of four-year-old Kean Gabriel Agustin and the mother’s live-in partner is scheduled this week.
The Regional Trial Court Branch 54 has set the arraignment of the Parricide and Murder charges filed respectively against Grace Gilaga Agustin, the mother of the victim Kean Gabriel Agustin, and Sonny Boy Rocabura Mendoza, Agustin’s live-in partner, on September 15, 2016.
The Davao City Prosecution Office (CPO) in a resolution dated August 30, 2016 had indicted the two after finding probable cause to hail them to court.
The two had approached barangay officials of Matina Pangi around 9 a.m., August 24, to ask for medical assistance for the boy, whom they claimed drowned.
The complainants also called 911 to bring the child to the hospital. The boy, however, was declared already dead at the hospital.
During the inquest the seven-year-old sister of the victim attested that Mendoza placed the victim in a sack, tied this up, and then hit the sack with a wood.
The girl said the sack, still with the boy in it, was later placed on top of their clothes shelf, but because the boy was moving inside, this fell down the floor several times.
The boy was already unconscious by the time Mendoza untied the sack and dropped the boy on the floor.
The girl said that her mother was just watching all throughout.
The barangay staff who first went to help the boy noticed bruises on the back and forehead, which made them doubt that the boy drowned.
Mendoza told them the child fell from a chair to explain the bruises. It was only later the Mendoza admitted that he placed the child in a sack as punishment.
The resolution stated that Mendoza be charged with Murder, and Agustin should be charged with parricide for she was present at the time of the incident and allowed her son to be maltreated by her live-in partner.
An existence of conspiracy between the two respondents was also found by the prosecutor. (KVC)