Mentally ill teenager chained to post dies in fire

TAGUM CITY, Davao del Norte—Chained by his mother to a post and left alone while she went out to buy some food, a 15-year-old mentally ill boy died when an unattended wood-fed  fire in the kitchen burned out of control and gobbled up their house in the town of Monkayo in Compostela Valley, police said Tuesday.

Senior Superintendent Camilo Cascolan, the province’s police chief, said Rita Salvaleon has been placed under arrest and faces child abuse charges for the death of her son Reybert, whose remains were found among the debris after firemen put out the fire at 8 p.m. last Sunday.

“According to the mother, the victim was bound with a dog chain inside their house, to prevent him from wandering around the town. The incident happened as the mother went out to buy some food,” Cascolan said.

Cascolan said the fire originated in the kitchen, where a fire had been started on the stove but was left unattended after the woman went out of the house.

Cascolan said arson investigators led by Senior Fire Officer 1 Joseph Crucio of Monkayo fire station revealed the blaze started around 7:45 p.m., with the victim alone in the house.

Cascolan said charges of violating Republic Act 7610 or anti-child abuse law were being prepared against the mother.