QUEZON CITY (PIA) -- The Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) on Friday advised the public to report any case of violence against children through its Makabata Helpline 1383, or message or call 09193541383 (Smart) and 09158022375 (Globe) for any child abuse concern.
This, after a child abuse incident resulted to the death of a 7-year-old child from Manila on August 26, 2023, a few days after being hospitalized due to various physical injuries and acute respiratory failure that her father reportedly caused due to an incomplete change.
The suspect, the child's biological father, is now hiding from the authorities, according to the Manila Police District.
However, he left a note clarifying his daughter's death was unintentional. The police, in the process of preparing the necessary criminal charges, have encouraged the suspect to turn himself in.
The grandmother reported that the child disclosed instances of her father choking and hitting her head, emphasizing that this was not a one-time event but part of an ongoing pattern of physical abuse. Furthermore, the child revealed that her father had also abused her siblings and mother.
The CWC, a government agency tasked with promoting a child-friendly and child-sensitive society that safeguards children's rights and well-being, firmly condemns all sorts of maltreatment and violations of children's rights.
The agency has since been working with the Manila Police District and the victim's family in their fight for prompt justice and called on the offender to turn himself in and face the accusations against him. The CWC also expressed their deepest sympathies and condolences to the family.
The CWC, meanwhile, urged parents and caregivers to make "positive discipline" a guiding principle, achieved through effective communication with children when they make mistakes.
"Let us cease various forms of harm or violence against children in the name of discipline. Children have the right to safety and protection from violence even when their parents commit it," it said. (PIA-NCR)
