Two boys, five and six years old, were found dead inside a car abandoned in Barangay Moras dela Paz, Santo Tomas, Pampanga.
It was a concerned citizen who reported the same to the police.
Daina Castro, the mother of the children, said she saw her two boys last on Saturday, July 6, 2024.
She even reportedly fed them lunch but no longer saw them when night came.
She said she was not bothered at that time, and did not think her kids had gone missing, because she assumed that their father who lives in another barangay had taken them.
"Bago sila mawala, pinakain ko muna... nawala na… kala ko nandun sila sa tatay nila, eh. Di ko po alam na napunta sila 'dyan," Castro said.
It was only in the afternoon of July 8 when she found out that the kids were missing when she saw their bodies.
The father of the children said he did not take his kids. He said the last time he visited his two children was in June 2024.
He also said he would not take the kids without informing his wife.
The car they were found in was parked approximately 500 meters away from their home.
Police said the foul smell indicated that the children had been dead for some time.
"Ako, personally, [pansin ko] nangangamoy na, so ibig sabihin matagal na silang patay," PCPT. Jester Calis, the Chief of Police of Santo Tomas, said.
Investigation into the case is ongoing as the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) continue to process the crime scene, as of this writing.
No foul play was detected, so far.
"Ito, ongoing pa yung SOCO na nag-po-process ng crime scene… initial, ano po namin, wala pong nakitang foul play," Calis told GMA Regional TV One North Central Luzon afternoon on Monday, July 8, 2024.
MARCH INCIDENT
In March 2024, two boys, two and three years old, were also found dead inside a car in Barangay Malabanias, Angeles City, in the same province.
The parents were searching for the two children when the kids were found. Their family does not own the vehicle the boys were found in.
According to the autopsy report released by the police, asphyxia caused the death of the boys.
Following the tragic event, the local government unit (LGU) pledged to enhance patrols in barangays.
