Baby drowns in drum of water

A seven-month-old baby boy drowned after he accidentally fell into a drum of water yesterday morning in Ermita, Manila.

The body of Jason Engracia was discovered by his mother Irene half-submerged head first on a 10-gallon plastic drum below their makeshift abode on a sidewalk at the corner of Adriatico and Ermita streets.

The victim, the youngest of five children of street dwellers Irene and Lutgardo Engracia, was declared dead on arrival at the Philippine General Hospital.

The couple had been occupying the sidewalk for almost 10 years now and had built a makeshift room on top of a steel structure in the place, according to investigator Detective Paul Dennis Javier.

The two eldest children, aged five and four, were sent to the couple’s relatives in the province, while the younger ones stayed with them as street dwellers, Javier added.

In between sobs, Irene told police she was fast asleep at around 9 a.m. leaving her three young children to fend for themselves. She said she could only sleep well in the daytime since the place is infested with mosquitoes at night.

When she woke up at around 9:30 a.m. she noted the youngest child missing. She said she frantically searched for the baby and later found him submerged head first in the dirty water of the quarter-filled plastic drum below their sleeping room.

"Siguro po gumapang palabas yung baby ko ng tulog ako. Madalas po kasing habulin yung laruan nya kaya malamang nahulog sa taas at na-syut sa drum," Irene narrated.

Despite the freak accident the couple has no plans of leaving their makeshift abode.

"Wala naman po kaming matitirahan. Disgrasya lang naman po ang nangyari sa baby namin," Lutgardo told The STAR.

Javier expressed sympathy for the couple that he is contemplating of absolving them of any culpability in the death of their child. – Nestor Etolle