8-year-old physically hurt by mother, grandma in Rodriguez, Rizal

Physical violence against an eight-year-old boy by his own mother and grandmother was caught on video, with authorities rescuing the child after residents reported the incident.

According to EJ Gomez’s report in “24 Oras” on Thursday, video shot by the neighbor showed the
boy can be seen trying to get out of his mother's grasp while crying out loud for mercy.

“Ma, ayoko na po!” the boy can be heard saying.

The woman could be heard calling for her own mother for help, then punching the boy in the face as he cried.

“Gusto mong sakalin kita?” the mother warned.

(Do you want me to strangle you?)

“Ayoko! Ayoko na po!” the boy exclaimed as he continued to seek mercy.

(No! Please, no!)

The woman kept a firm grip on the boy's arm and around his head as his grandmother arrived and tried to wrench him up before spanking him with a slipper him three times.

Investigation showed that the boy did not immediately return home after he was told to buy a cigarette.

“Simula umaga hindi na bumalik itong bata at sa tingin ko nagastos yung pambili ng sigarilyo, at naibili ng pogs. So yung bata natakot at nahanap ng kanyang magulang ng mga bandang alas singko na ng hapon,” said Police Lieutenant Colonel Paul Sabulao, Rodriguez Municipal Police Station chief.

(The child did not return home in the morning and I think he spent the money on pogs instead of buying cigarettes. So the kid was afraid to return home and he was found by his parents at around 5 p.m.)

The mother defended her actions by saying that her son had run away upon seeing her, and she was not able to control herself out of frustration. She also said she was three months pregnant.

“Kaya ko po lang din na ganun ang anak ko, sa sobrang pagod na po, nanghihina ako dahil namutla na rin po ako…Pagod na pagod na ako,” the mother said, who is also three-months pregnant.

(I only did that because I was really tired. I was already feeling weak.)

The young victim said he did not return home right away after his friends invited him to buy snacks and toys with them.

“Umiyak ako nang umiyak…Natatakot po akong umuwi, kasi papagalitan po ako,” he said

(I was crying…I was scared to go home because I would be scolded.)  

The police, on the other hand, said that the neighbor who recorded the incident testified that the boy’s mom has been abusing him.

But the mother denied the allegations.

“Kapag binugbog ko ang anak ko, makikita sa katawan yung sobrang pambubugbog, hindi po ganun,” she claimed.

(If I were abusing my son, it should be evident on his body, but that’s not true.)

Meanwhile, the neighbor maintained that it was not the first time that the boy was physically harmed in his home.

“Hindi po totoo ‘yun na isang beses lang, marami nang beses. Naririnig na lang namin na humihiyaw. Makikita na lang namin yung anak niya may pasa sa mukha niya tapos ang dami niyang kalmot,” said Remedios Ortanez.

(I did not happen only once, this has happened many times. We would hear him wailing. We would see the child with bruises on his face and scratches on his body.)

The police said that the boy will be turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), while the parents will be charged with physical abuse.

The DSWD said it will not tolerate any child abuse, adding that it will coordinate with the local welfare office for legal matters.

“We do not tolerate abuse committed on young children. We will send social workers to conduct home visitation and parental capability assessment, parent effectiveness session will be conducted as well. We will also work with the CSWDO in looking at legal activities,” the agency said. — Vince Angelo Ferreras/BM, GMA Integrated News