Man who dumped son's body in pond charged

CEBU, Philippines - Police yesterday filed child abuse charges against the father of the boy who admitted placing his son’s dead body into a sack and dumping the sack into a pond early morning last April 25.

City Police Director Patrocinio Comendador admitted yesterday it is difficult for them to gather evidence to prove that Arsenio Trasmil killed his own son Michael, a special child and a polio victim.

“Lisud na man gud kaayo pagkuha og autopsy kay April 26 pa gud namatay nya May 4 na nakit-an. Lata na sad jud kaayo,” Comendador said.

Despite his admission, Trasmil has denied killing his son and said Michael had died afternoon on April 24 after suffering from bronchopneumonia for almost a week. He said he was forced to place him in a sack and subsequently place the sack in the pond because he could not afford a decent burial for Michael.

He also claimed being “anxious” at that time and did not know the right thing to do.

Comendador, however, said they will continue to investigate if Trasmil had companions in dumping Michael’s body.

Before he was brought to the city prosecutor’s office yesterday, police allowed Trasmil to attend the requiem mass for Michael. There, Trasmil sought forgiveness for treating his son the way he did.

Trasmil was placed under arrest Monday after his confession at the San Fernando Funeral Homes where he identified as his son the body of the boy found in the pond in sitio Lusimba, barangay Basak Pardo.

Trasmil disclosed his son died at their residence afternoon last April 24, a day before he placed him in the sack and dumped him in the pond.

In an earlier interview with GMA-7’s “Balitang Bisdak,” Trasmil’s live-in partner Vivian Catahom said Trasmil reportedly told her to simply say Michael’s mother took the child to Davao, in case policemen would investigate the incident.

Reports had it that Trasmil left Michael to live in a small shanty for four years already but Trasmil denied the same, saying he and his son lived in the same house for the past 13 years. Trasmil said his wife left them when Michael was still two years old. — Christopher Gabriel Bonjoc/JMO (THE FREEMAN)