A few hours ago, I added a banner that links to The Hunger Site (a foundation for poor, hungry people, mostly children). It reminded me of the 4-year old boy, tortured by his own mother and 9-year old sister.
Toddlers are really a handful most of the time. It's their nature. They untiringly go up and down the stairs, climb on bookshelves, TV racks, cabinet/closets, plastic clothes drawers. Gets whatever that interests them. Running all around the four corners of the room. Turns on and off the fans & TV repetitively - everything that has switch buttons on it (and oftentimes, pulling electric plugs off a wall socket and plugging it back!). Just keep a watchful eye on them because they have inquisitive minds and they are exploring so let them be. But can a toddler actually commit a dreadful offense to suffer such punishment that leaves the toddler wounded, physically & mentally?
I was able to watch Imbestigador's last Saturday (May 31) episode of their rescue to a 4-year old tortured boy. Where a concerned neighbor reported to Imbestigador about the case of "Jepoy" (not his real name). The neighbor said that Jepoy's feet was securely tied to the wall (like a mongrel) of the house where he is kept within bounds, or like a prisoner. Not only that, Jepoy's body and face are full of scars from previous punishments and fresh, unclean and untreated wounds. He is not even clothed properly; he is wearing a very dirty sando and no underwear nor short pants. With quite long and dirty fingernails, he might have touched his wounds whenever they would itch since his wounds are not treated with antiseptics or anything and might as well be infected.
As what I've seen from the TV, the left side of his forehead has a bleeding wound, looks like crack on a bread. His arms and thighs have small wounds that I suspect, from a hard pinch. Yes indeed, his "nice" elder sister confessed that she pinches Jepoy real hard and hits him whenever she would caught Jepoy picking up leftover food or bits of food and eat it. "Kinukurot ko sya sa braso saka sa mukha pag nahuhuli/nakikita ko syang namumulot ng mga tirang pagkain". He might be starving and not fed enough so he picks up food bits or leftover foods.
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV
Who would ever do this to a little boy? Like I said earlier, his mother and 9-year old elder sister. The little boy is punished, starving and with tied feet, while the great mother goes out to gamble and his sister dear is out playing on the street. His father was asked by the authorities but he just answered he didn't know that his son is being tortured by his "bitter-half". DSWD came with Imbestigador team to rescue the young boy and demanded to have a Medical Test/General Check-Up done to Jepoy. The medical results said it all. Jepoy is already in a severe malnutrition aside from the scars and wounds that the little boy is suffering.
I wish that not only his wounds be healed, but as well as this little boy's mental condition. I hope that authorities and assigned care takers of this kid would help him recover from this traumatic experience.
Thousands of couples are having difficulties in conceiving a child. Others took years to have one. This mother (Jepoy's mom) only takes a second to turn a child into a punching bag. If I'll be asked, what if they will be receiving punishment the same way they punished an innocent little boy? God is watching.
