NATONIN, Mountain Province – Police have identified two minors, aged 12 and 8, as persons of interest in the death of a three-year-old child in this town.
Lt. Col. Apdilon Chiday Galong of the Mountain Province Police Provincial Office confirmed the development after the victim’s body was discovered on May 24 following an overnight search.
Authorities withheld further details in compliance with Republic Act 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, which prohibits the disclosure of identities of minors involved in criminal cases.
The victim, known by her alias “Baby Duma,” was reported missing on May 23 at Banawel Elementary School in Sitio Batnong, Barangay Banawel. She had accompanied her grandmother to a barangay gathering before disappearing.
Family members, residents, and police mounted a search operation that lasted through the night.
The child was found unconscious the next morning behind the St. Martin de Porres Chapel in the same area.
She was rushed to a hospital in Poblacion, Natonin, but was declared dead due to traumatic brain injury.
Police said the investigation is ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident while ensuring adherence to laws protecting minors. (Freddie Lazaro)
