Pa beats 3-year-old daughter to death

MANILA, Philippines - A three-year-old girl died minutes after she was beaten up by her own father when she would not stop crying in their rented home in Barangay Sto. Domingo, Quezon City Friday night.

Kareene Chloe Delfin was crying and pleaded with her not to leave for work that night, said her mother, Karen Delfin, 22, a nursing graduate working the graveyard shift as a call center agent. Karen was at work when her daughter died.

Kareene died from severe head and body injuries including a cracked forehead and bruises, autopsy records show. She died at 12:30 a.m. yesterday while being treated by doctors at the emergency room of the Sta. Teresita General Hospital.

Senior Police Officer 2 Mario Turiano of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU) identified the suspect as Frederick Malvas, 32, a private driver, who is living in with Karen.

In his statement to the police, witness Alexander Licud, 36, who owns the house rented by the couple, said the incident happened at around 10:45 p.m. He said he was roused from sleep by Malvas. When he opened the door, he saw Malvas carrying Kareene, who was unconscious. Licud said he did not see the girl being beaten by her father but heard him shouting at the girl to keep quiet.

Karen told Turiano that prior to the incident, she waited for Malvas to come home from work at past 10 p.m. that night. She said they talked for a while before Malvas took her to the jeep terminal, leaving the girl alone at home. She said Kareene was crying and did not want her mom to leave. She later learned Kareene had died when Licud texted her and Malvas talked to her on the phone.

She said Malvas told her he beat Kareene with a leather belt and hit her only in the buttocks. When he was trying to appease her, the child allegedly defecated and he took her to the bathroom. Malvas told her he bathed Kareene as she was crying. He then took her to bed but as he did this, the girl allegedly had difficulty breathing. He said he tried to resuscitate her but her condition did not improve.

Malvas took his daughter to Licud, asking help to take the victim to the nearest hospital. On the way to Licud’s place, Malvas allegedly slipped and fell on the pavement together with the unconscious victim. Malvas told Karen he could still feel the child’s pulse as she was being rushed to the hospital.

Malvas is currently detained at the CIDU holding center as parricide charges are being readied against him, Turiano said.