Lanie Fernandez, 32, who was suspected of having caused the death of her five-year-old daughter Julie Ann last Wednesday, told police that it was actually her son who beat up the victim.
Fernandez, a resident of 70 Manunggal St., Barangay Tatalon, said that her son from her first husband, was the real suspect in the mauling incident. The STAR is withholding the identity of the minor.
She claimed that she saw the boy punching and kicking Julie Ann last week inside their home at about 4 p.m. She added that she stopped the boy from further beating her daughter, but Julie Ann soon complained of internal pains.
Lanie added that her daughter began throwing up food she would eat, which probably caused complications in her body. At the time of her death, she had bruises in the forehead, chest, shoulders, and legs, investigation said.
Operatives of the Central Police District said the mother was the principal suspect in the case and noted that Fernandez admitted that she used to hit Julie Ann with a piece of wood everytime she gets angry.
Lanie told investigators that Mike and Julie Ann fought a lot, but that she was very busy looking for work to keep an eye on the two siblings. Lanie has seven children by two men. The victim was the youngest.
Julia Ann was taken to the Children’s Medical Center after she experienced serious convulsions and had difficulty in breathing.
The victim was pronounced dead on arrival at about 10:15 a.m. Doctors said she could have died from "multiple hemmatoma."
Police sources, however, remain skeptical because Fernandez had contradicting stories regarding the "mauling incident."
Meanwhile, two suspected drug pushers yield a total of 197.2 grams of high-grade shabu worth P200,000 during a buy-bust operation conducted by the Parañaque City police Wednesday afternoon.
Authorities identified the suspects as Badrudin Balimbingan, 26, and Musaidin Ali, 35, both of Sitio Sto. Niño, West Cupang, Muntinlupa.
They were arrested at around 2:30 p.m. along Old Bonifacio Street, Barangay San Dionisio, Parañaque, said SPO3 Hyacinth Ocfemia, one of the arresting officers. – Matthew Estabillo and Nikko Dizon