Mother of child-on-a-leash says it was a joke—DSWD
The mother of a one-and-a-half-year-old boy who was tied like a dog said it was a “joke,” according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
In an interview with Radyo Inquirer on Wednesday, DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman said Ayra Dela Cruz Francisco, who posted on Facebook a photo of her son on a leash and called him her “new pet,” told social workers that what she did was nothing serious.
BACKSTORY: Baby tied like a dog, posted on Facebook
“The mother explained that what she did to her child was just a joke, but we said that it’s not an acceptable reason,” Soliman said.
Photos of the toddler with a rope around his neck and a dog food bowl nearby went viral over social media and enraged netizens.
On Tuesday, Soliman said the DSWD, with the help of the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigatiom, already rescued the child from Orani, Bataan, and brought him to a facility for abandoned children in Region 3.
READ: Mother of child-on-a-leash located; DSWD orders rescue of baby
Soliman said Francisco, a housewife, was set to undergo psychological assessment to determine her mental and emotional capacity to take care of a child.
“Responsible parenthood is a challenge. You can’t just say that your child will not understand or remember what you are doing to him just because he is still a child. It’s not right,” she said.
Soliman added that Francisco’s husband defended her , saying she was a “good person and a good mother.”
While saying that the parents can visit their child anytime in the facility, Soliman said DSWD needed to ensure that the mother was a responsible one.
“The psychologist will assess her condition, and from there, the DSWD will formulate ways on how to help her and her family,” she said. “The best interest of the child is our top priority.”
If proven guilty and negligent, Soliman said the mother would be held liable for the violation of the Anti-Child Abuse Law and the Violence Against Women and Children Act.
