Relatives see link between bullying, death of boy

PILI, Camarines Sur—Relatives of a 9-year-old boy who died in a hospital in Naga City last Friday have asked police to investigate if his death was caused by bullying, which the boy went through in his classroom days before he died.

Verny Bruca Tribiana, 38, of Zone 7, San Jose, of this town, complained to the Women and Children Protection Desk of the Philippine National Police here that her nephew, John Joseph Bruca, was a victim of bullying before he died of infection in the hospital on Aug. 9.

But on Monday, police failed to secure the medical records of Bruca because the hospital would not release these until the boy’s bills of about P60,000 are settled, Tribiana said.

Tribiana told the Inquirer on Monday that Bruca reported the bullying case late. Bruca’s classmates, a boy and girl, were supposed to have punched Bruca and twisted his arm, which became swollen and infected.

A police report quoted Tribiana as saying a classmate of her nephew reported that the bullying took place on Aug. 2 while Bruca’s teacher was out.

Tribiana said the right shoulder of her nephew became swollen after three days which prompted them to bring him to Magarao, Camarines Sur, to see a healer. The healer, however, refused to touch the boy because the swelling had become so severe. The family decided to bring the boy to a hospital on Aug. 5.

The boy’s condition worsened and the infection spread, relatives of the boy quoted doctors as saying.

Bruca’s teacher was not available for comment. The principal of San Jose Elementary School, Ma. Gracita Gandia, said school officials were also informed late about the bullying case.

The mother of the girl accused of taking part in the bullying cried when interviewed by the Inquirer on Monday, saying she could not believe her daughter was capable of the abuse and had been so traumatized by the accusation that she stopped going to school.

The girl’s mother recalled her daughter saying Bruca had been calling her names and the girl retaliated by holding Bruca’s arm, though denying she twisted it.

The mother of the boy accused of also taking part in the bullying said her son also stopped going to school amid the accusation.