Following the viral Facebook post involving a child who is put on a dog leash, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine National Police is willing to investigate the apparent child abuse incident.
Netizens enraged over a posted photo of the mother showing the toddler tied like a dog on the floor beside the dog food bowl, as it became viral on the social media.
“As of now, we haven’t received any coordination from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, but we are willing to help them in the investigation,” Chief Inspector Elizabeth Jasmin, CIDG spokesperson, told reporters on Tuesday.
The photos were captioned: “Bago ko nga plang alagang aso haha … lakas ng tama ng anak ko sunod sunuran naman #dami kong tawa dito grabe.”
However, Jasmin said the office will wait for complainants.
“Kung sino man ang gumawa nito, ready ang police na sampahan ng kaso at imbestigahan yug mga kasong dinudulog sa himpilan namin,” Jasmin said.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima earlier said the DSWD and the National Bureau of Investigation were already coordinating to study the case.
While the Commission of Human Rights had asked the DSWD to take abrupt actions regarding the issue.
Supervising PNP’s Women and Children Protection Unit, the CIDG has already recorded 14 cases of child abuse since earlier this year.
“In the child abuse cases we’ve handled, most perpetrators are family members of the victim, if it’s not the mother, the victim’s mother, or his uncle. Other cases involved teachers and neighbors who verbally or physically abuses the child,” Jasmin said.
Jasmin also added that offenders might face criminal charges with one to six months of imprisonment to reclusion perpetua.
H/T: Inquirer.net; and photo.