[WARNING: SENSITIVE CONTENT]

A 12-year-old boy who went by the name “Toto” was shot dead by an unidentified person while he was about to go to sleep on the sidewalk in Barangay 12, Bacolod City at dawn on July 13, 2024.

The authorities already have a copy of the CCTV footage on how the child was shot, but was not yet shown to the public.

After the shooting incident, the perpetrator left hurriedly.

The victim was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to a fatal wound in the head.

"Nakita namin na parang may inaayos sya. Siguro naghahanda na siyang matulog kasi past 1 (in the morning) na noon sa CCTV. Then suddenly, mga 1:30 (in the morning), yun na, nakitang may taong bumaril sa kanya,” Major Elmer Bonilla, chief of Police Station 1, said.

Bonilla confirmed that a five-year-old girl was with the victim days prior to the shooting incident.

The five-year-old girl was declared missing on July 1, 2024 in Talisay City, Negros Occidental but was found in Bacolod City on July 2, 2024 at dawn.

According to the police, the victim was previously under the custody of the Department of Social Services and Development. It was learned that the victim had been living on the streets of Bacolod City.

GMA Regional TV One Western Visayas sought a comment from the relatives of the victim, but they refused to grant an interview yet.

Investigation is ongoing as to the connection between the killing and that of the case of the five-year-old girl.

“May instances na ang bata ang inuutusan sa illegal activity ng mga legal aged na sinampahan ng abduction doon. So yan ang anggulo na ating tinitingnan,” Bonilla said.

A companion of the victim was accused of rape after the medical examination on the five-year-old girl turned out to be positive.