8-year-old boy in Pasig dies after alleged beating for staying up late

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MANILA, Philippines — An 8-year-old boy from Barangay (village) Rosario in Pasig City died after he was allegedly beaten up by his mother and his stepfather for allegedly staying up late, police said.

The suspects were identified by the police as Kimberly Villadolid, 29, and Germarc Franklin Villadolid, 39.

According to the Eastern Police District, the victim was rushed to the hospital by his stepfather and his mother on Friday afternoon. The boy was declared dead at around 3:51 p.m.

The suspects, who both work as call center agents, admitted punishing the boy for staying up late, Pasig City Police chief public information officer Resel Guevarra told INQUIRER.net on Saturday.

“The mother told the child to go to sleep. Then at around one am, when the mother suddenly woke up, she saw that the child was still awake. That’s where it started,” Guevarra said in Filipino over the phone when asked what the motive was.

The EPD said the parents admitted having punished the boy by forcing him to perform squats.

The suspects said they only hit the boy with slippers when he failed to do his squats. However, examination showed that the boy sustained bruises in his legs and arms, the EPD said.

An autopsy was conducted but the result has yet to be released, Guevarra said.

The suspects were arrested and are currently detained at the Pasig City Custodial Facility, according to Guevarra.

Guevarra said the suspects are facing complaints of homicide and parricide in relation to Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.

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