Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte is both heartbroken and furious over the death of Kean Gabriel, the 3-year-old boy who was allegedly beaten by his stepfather on Wednesday in Matina Pangi.
The mayor, who is pregnant with triplets, has been told by her doctors to keep away from crowded places, but on Friday morning, she defied this and went to the house of the victim to personally talk to the boy's relatives.
A crestfallen Duterte could not apparently hide her anger as she listened to the story of how the boy met his tragic death in the hands of his stepfather, 22-year-old Sonny Boy Mendoza.
"Dapat i-report ninyo ang mga kaso sa pag-abuso sa mga bata, mga kaso sa rape...ayaw ninyo binuangi ang mga bata (Report all abuses against children, cases of rape. Do not hurt your children)," the mayor told the boy's grandfather, Ruben.
Mendoza was immediately arrested after he told the authorities of the boy's death.
Kean's mother was also arrested for being an accomplice.
Mayor Sara said she will hire a private prosecutor who will pursue the appropriate charges against Mendoza and everyone who did nothing to save the boy's life, including his mother.
But the mayor felt that this is even not enough.
"Late na kaayo ta. Wala na ta'y mabuhat kay Kean (We came in late. We can no longer save Kean)," the mayor said.
A team from the Davao City Social Services and Development Office were also sent to take care of the other children of the couple, one of them is only 1-year-old.
Reports said the suspect forced the boy inside an empty sack and hang him for hours inside their shanty in Matina Pangi -- sitting on him when the sack fell a number of times. In between sobs, the boy begged for him to stop but the suspect and the boy's mother ignored this.
Source: City Information Office
The mayor, who is pregnant with triplets, has been told by her doctors to keep away from crowded places, but on Friday morning, she defied this and went to the house of the victim to personally talk to the boy's relatives.
A crestfallen Duterte could not apparently hide her anger as she listened to the story of how the boy met his tragic death in the hands of his stepfather, 22-year-old Sonny Boy Mendoza.
"Dapat i-report ninyo ang mga kaso sa pag-abuso sa mga bata, mga kaso sa rape...ayaw ninyo binuangi ang mga bata (Report all abuses against children, cases of rape. Do not hurt your children)," the mayor told the boy's grandfather, Ruben.
Mendoza was immediately arrested after he told the authorities of the boy's death.
Kean's mother was also arrested for being an accomplice.
Mayor Sara said she will hire a private prosecutor who will pursue the appropriate charges against Mendoza and everyone who did nothing to save the boy's life, including his mother.
But the mayor felt that this is even not enough.
"Late na kaayo ta. Wala na ta'y mabuhat kay Kean (We came in late. We can no longer save Kean)," the mayor said.
A team from the Davao City Social Services and Development Office were also sent to take care of the other children of the couple, one of them is only 1-year-old.
Reports said the suspect forced the boy inside an empty sack and hang him for hours inside their shanty in Matina Pangi -- sitting on him when the sack fell a number of times. In between sobs, the boy begged for him to stop but the suspect and the boy's mother ignored this.
Source: City Information Office