After cop entices them to drink gin 6 kids hospitalized for intoxication

CEBU, Philippines - Six children, aged five to 11, were taken to the hospital for intoxication after a policeman made them drink liquor in exchange for P20 last Tuesday afternoon.

The kids drank the gin inside the residence of Police Officer 3 Noel Monares during the 11th birthday of his daughter in Unit V. Oppra, barangay Kalunasan, Cebu City.

Four of the children were released from the Cebu City Medical Center as of 6 p.m. yesterday.

Sr. Insp. Mario Monilar, chief of Guadalupe Police Station, said that after receiving the report from one of the children’s parents, they responded to the area and looked for Monares.

But Monares, assigned to the Regional Intelligence Unit-7 of the Police Regional Office, eluded arrest. The suspect’s wife, identified as Fiony, said her husband had left on board a taxi cab.

Report said that during the birthday party, Monares told all the children who attended the party that he would give each of them P20 if they would drink a glass of gin.

Rico Nogalita, father of two of the victims aged five and seven, told The FREEMAN that the children, including his four sons, lined up and drank a glass. He said some of the kids even drank two glasses of gin.

Nogalita, 34, driver of a Korean family, said he rushed towards home after receiving a text message from his wife about the incident at 5 p.m.

He said they rushed the children to the CCMC on board the car patrol of responding Guadalupe police while some of the victims were carried by a vehicle of the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation.

Nogalita said that they have talked with the other parents of the victims to file a case against Monares.

He disclosed that since the incident, Monares did not talk to them and offer to shoulder the expenses.

He disclosed that some of the children, including his five-year-old son, were not given the amount that Monares promised. The policeman only allegedly told the kids that he ran out of coins.

“Ambot lagi unsa’y nasulod sa iya utok. Tarong man unta na siya na pagkatawo. Ang ila siguro ato na ug mangahubog ang mga bata, kataw-an nila. Maayo pa’y nagpa-contest sila og kaon og spaghetti kay daghan man sila giluto. Bahala og magsuka sa kabusog ang mga bata, dili lang magsuka sa kahubog,” Nogalita lamented.

Monilar said they submitted a report of the incident to Cebu City Police Office director Patrocinio Comendador for him to ask RIU-7 head Supt. Glenn Maya to call on Monares to surface.

The police official said they would file a case for child abuse against Monares under Republic Act of 7610. They will also determine if Monares was drunk during the incident.

SPO4 Graciano Galman, duty officer of RIU, said that Monares was on leave. — Niña G. Sumacot with Christopher Gabriel Bonjoc/LPM (FREEMAN NEWS)