Cop's son drowns in Consolacion

CEBU, Philippines - A two-year-old son of a policeman drowned in a drum outside their house in Barangay Upper Tayud, Consolacion town Friday morning.

The boy was identified as Lee Angelo Curitana, youngest son of Police Officer 1 Joel Curitana of the Regional Public Safety Battalion’s Second Company based in Moalboal.

Chief Insp. Wilbert Parilla, chief of Consolacion Police Station, said the incident happened at 9 a.m. Friday but the information on the incident only reached their office at 6 a.m. yesterday through media. The incident was eventually recorded in the police blotter.

Police investigation disclosed that prior to the incident, the boy was playing with his elder brother outside their house in sitio Bagacay, Barangay Upper Tayud.

They were being watched over by their grandmother, Lourdes Sudaya, who reportedly got busy ironing the clothes. Their parents were out for work during that time.

The police investigation said Sudaya later went outside the house to check on her grandchildren and was shocked upon seeing her younger grandson stuck on a mini-drum filled with water.

“Nataligam-an sa lola na busy sa pamalantsa. Pagkakita niya, wala na’y panimuot ang bata. Nagtuwad na, ang ulo naa na sa drum (The grandmother was busy and seems to forget them. When she saw him, he was already unconscious. The head of the boy was inside the drum),” Police Officer 1 Harley Itang of Consolacion Police Station said.

Itang said the drum, which the family used in storing water, was situated beside the house.

Sudaya shouted for help from her neighbors and took the boy to the Eversley Child’s Sanitarium and Hospital in Mandaue City.

But the attending physician pronounced the victim dead on arrival. — /LPM (FREEMAN)