Stepfather's rage over rice: Punch may have caused brain hemorrhage - autopsy

CEBU, Philippines - The 16-year-old boy who died after allegedly being slapped and whipped last Monday in Barangay Montañeza, Malabuyoc may have been punched by his stepfather.

This, after the autopsy report revealed that John Rey Manlisic’s death was due to brain hemorrhage which the doctor believed, was because he was punched by his stepfather and affected his brain.

Dr. Nestor Sator, medico legal officer of the PNP Crime Laboratory-7, said that the victim suffered contusions on his epigastric region, the upper central region of the abdomen and on his head.

Sator said that the autopsy of Manlisic showed he was possibly boxed by his stepfather in the stomach before he was hardly hit on the head.

“Kato mura’g dili gyud to sagpa kay sa akong nakita grabe iyang bun-og unya affected iyang utok,” he said.

Sator said Manlisic’s uncle revealed the victim even vomited after he was punched by his stepfather Renato de los Reyes, 44.

“Kung magsukasuka na gani effect nana nga naay something wrong sa iyang brain which is kuyaw,” he said.

Sator said that according to the claims of the boy’s relatives, whipping was de los Reyes’ usual way to discipline his children.

“Wala gyud siguro to siya’y intention mopatay kay nitabang pa gud siya og dala sa hospital pero nahinaykan na man,” Sator said.

Manlisic died three hours later at the M.J. Cuenco District Hospital where he was taken because of the alleged maltreatment of his stepfather.

De los Reyes, who is now detained at the police stockade and is facing criminal charges, accidentally did the crime when Manlisic stole the money appropriated for a kilo of rice and instead spent it playing computer games.

He reportedly took a banana stalk which he used in whipping Manlisic but it broke which pushed him to slap his stepson.

Earlier, de los Reyes claimed that he only whipped and slapped Manlisic once.

Senior Inspector Amadeo Pepito, Malabuyoc police chief, said that a criminal case against de los Reyes was filed yesterday at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office. —/MIT (FREEMAN)