A TWO-YEAR-OLD boy, left in the care of his cousin by the mother who works abroad, died with bruises all over his body in Calinan, Davao City.
One Teresita Villa, a relative, identified the victim as John Earl.
In the initial investigation by Police Senior Inspector (PSI) Adonis Zozobrado of the Homicide Section of Calinan Police Station it was learned that John Earl was in the care of Ronilo and Sara Jane Alca-in while the toddler's mother is working in Bahrain.
Ronilo claimed he rarely punished the boy.
"Usahay lang nako siya ginabunalan kung magpabadlong siya, nakonsinsya ko sa nahitabo, ako man gyud ang nagbunal (I only spank him occasionally, when he becomes naughty. I am bothered by my conscience because I was the one who hit him)," Ronilo said in an interview on national television Monday.
Sara Jane also regretted what happened and was asking for forgiveness.
"Mangayo kog pasaylo tungod wala nako naayog dala ang iyang anak nga gibilin sa amoa. Wala pod namo nasunod ang gusto nila, ang ilang gi-expect (I'm asking for forgiveness because we were not able to take care of the child they left with us. We did not live up to their expectations)," Sara Jane said in the same interview.
Villa, however, does not believe them when they said they rarely punished the child saying that the boy would not have died had this not been done to him often.
"Walay ikasukol ng bata, gamay pa kaayo na. Di ko katuo nga mao na kay nakapuyo pa na sa akoa usa ka bulan ang bata, natingala na lang ko nga kana na ang balita (The boy cannot put up a fight, he's still very small. I can't imagine this happened to him. He stayed with me for a month, I was surprised to hear of this in the news)," Villa said.
PSI Zozobrado said the bruises all over the boy's body apparently caused his death.
"Ayon sa attending physician, may mga bruises ang bata, may sugat sa ulo, nagdudugo ang tenga (According to the attending physician, the child had bruises, a wound on the head and bleeding ear)," Zozobrado said.
The two suspects will be charged on Tuesday, November 15.