Two missing kids found dead inside parked car in Taguig

Mystery shrouded the discovery of two dead children inside a parked car near a barangay hall in Taguig City on Tuesday morning.

The two — Dayne Buenaflor, 3, and James Naraga, 4 — had been missing since March, according to a report on GMA News TV's “Quick Response Team.”

“Palaisipan sa amin,” said Philip Buenaflor, an official in Brgy. Wawa where the bodies were found and also uncle of one of the victims. “Yung mga panahon na Marso hanggang Abril, may mga nagsabing nakita daw ‘yung mga bata sa Parañaque at Las Piñas. Sa katabing barangay nakita din daw ‘yung mga bata.”

The decomposing bodies were discovered by one Alvin Bionisio, who was hired to clean a black Mercedez Benz parked in a private garage in front of Brgy. Wawa’s barangay hall.

“Sa kotse na po ‘yun may pinapaalis daw na patay na hayop. Tapos nung binuksan ko na po ‘yung kotse, (lumabas) na po ‘yung amoy at nung sinilip ko po ‘yung loob ng kotse nakita ko po patay na bata,” Bionisio said on the same television report.

One of the children was found in a sitting position while the other was lying facedown.

The report said the children, who were residents of the same village, were last seen on March 27 playing hide-and-seek with other neighborhood kids.

Buenaflor said they have been looking for the two in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces of Laguna, Cavite and Rizal. He added the search even reached Pangasinan, Mindoro and Bicol.



No foul play suspected

With the discovery of the bodies inside the car, Buenaflor said they do not suspect that the two were victims of foul play.

“Hindi kami nag-isip ng masama sa pangyayaring 'yun, baka sa paglalaro ng mga bata, hindi inaasahan na doon sila naginda sa sasakyan na ‘yun,” he said.

According to the vehicle's owner, Gregorio Valenzuela, his car has been parked in that area for about one year together with other vehicles that were damaged by Tropical Storm Ondoy in 2009.

Taguig acting police chief Senior Superintendent Arthur Felix said children are prohibited from entering and playing in the private parking lot.

“Nalaman po namin kanina na nakakapasok pala ang mga bata sa parking area kasi kaya nilang akyatin ang bakod. Pero pag nakikita ‘yung mga bata na naglalaro dito sa loob, sinisita naman nila. Bago ito nangyari, walang nakapansin na ganito pala ang kalalabasan,” he said in the television report.

“Kung sa first impression, mukhang walang trace ng struggle,” he said of the bodies.

Autopsy report out in two days

Still, the police will conduct an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death of the two children.

“So far, wala pang autopsy report dahil kanina lang nakita ‘yung mga bangkay… Maghihintay ng dalawang araw bago magkaroon ng official report kung paano sila namatay,” said Southern Police District director Chief Superintendent Jose Erwin Villacorte.

“Maraming kwento o usap na chineck na ‘yan [parking lot] dati  kaya gusto talaga naming malaman sa imbestigasyon na gagawin ng ating kapulisan kung ano ba ang nangyari bakit hindi nila nakita noong una. Maaaring umikot lang kasi sila pero hindi nila siguro sinilip ang looban ng mga sasakyan dito,” he added.

Buenaflor said he and the families of the two children could only hope for a speedy investigation.

“Hinihiling po sana namin na sa tagal-tagal ho ng paghahanap namin sa mga bata ay sana ho ay mapabilis na ang pag-iimbestiga at malaman na po namin ang dahilan ng pagkamatay ng dalawang bata,” he said. — Rouchelle Dinglasan/KBK, GMA News