10-year-old boy dies after circumcision in Tondo clinic

A 10-year-old boy died after he was circumcised at a lying-in clinic in Tondo, Manila. 

In an exclusive report by John Consulta on 24 Oras, a man who introduced himself as a doctor performed the procedure during which the child reportedly began convulsing. 

The boy’s grief-stricken mother, Marjorie San Agustin, shared the heartbreaking story of how she lost her young son.

"Kasi malakas naman po siya nung dinala ko dun eh. Tapos bakit ganito? Kompleto na nang gamit pang e-school yung mga yan sir eh," Marjorie said.

(He was in good condition when I brought him there. Then why did this happen? He already had everything ready for school, sir.)

In tears, Marjorie recounted the events to GMA Integrated News at their home in Tondo, Manila. Her son, Nathan, just 10 years old, died shortly after undergoing a circumcision procedure at a lying-in clinic in Balut, Tondo.

Marjorie said she brought Nathan to the clinic at around 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 17. A man who claimed to be a doctor performed the procedure. Before the circumcision, her son was administered anesthesia—reportedly in the amount of 20cc, as per the clinic staff.

She even took a video before the procedure, asking Nathan how he felt.

"Wala na raw siyang nararamdaman. Nakita ko na po ang anak ko nang nanginginig po,” she said.

(He said he couldn’t feel anything anymore. I saw my son shivering.)

"Tapos po sabi ko po sa doktor kung normal lang po 'yan kasi po natatakot na po ako eh. Sabi po ng doktor, normal lang daw po 'yan kasi daw po groggy. Tapos na po, nagsisigaw na po, gano'n na po, nakikisigaw na po siya," Marjorie recounted.

(I asked the doctor if that was normal because I was getting scared. The doctor said it was normal because he was groggy. Then he started shaking and shouting.)

"Opo, nakadilat po, tapos wala na po sa sarili."

(Yes, his eyes were open, but he was no longer conscious.)

Nathan was rushed to a nearby hospital, but attempts to revive him proved unsuccessful.

"Sobrang sakit sa akin, sir, kasi masigasig daw po mag-aaral 'yung anak ko eh. Wala na 'yung estudyante po 'yan kaya hindi ko po talaga matanggap. Kung may kasalanan po sila, hindi ko po sila mapapatawad. Sobrang sakit po, wala na po 'yung anak ko. Hindi po kaya i-revive 'yung anak ko," Marjorie cried.

(It hurts so much because my son was so eager to study. Now he's gone. I can't accept it. If anyone is at fault, I can't forgive them. It’s just too painful. My son couldn't be revived.)

The grieving family reported the incident to the Manila Police District and later sought the assistance of the National Bureau of Investigation to seek a thorough investigation.

"Iniimbestigahan namin, but then number one 'yan is the autopsy. Kung ano resulta ng autopsy, kung meron dapat managot or what," said NBI Director Jaime Santiago.

(We are investigating, but the autopsy is our top priority. Depending on the result, we’ll determine if someone should be held accountable.)

"Malaman namin 'yung cause ng death. Isu-subpoena namin siya kung anong prosedurang ginawa niya," he added.

(We need to determine the cause of death. We’ll issue a subpoena to the person to explain the procedure performed.)

The NBI also visited the clinic where the procedure took place. GMA Integrated News also went to the location. After ringing the doorbell for several minutes, someone finally answered but said the person who performed the procedure was not there.  — Sherylin Untalan/RF, GMA Integrated News