A 57-year-old man was arrested in Pozorrubio, Pangasinan after his three-year-old grandson died from injuries allegedly sustained during an assault inside the family home, police said on Friday, May 15, 2026.
The child was being mourned by relatives at their home in Barangay Nantangalan following the incident on Thursday, May 14, 2026.
Authorities said the child was brought to a hospital for treatment but died later from his injuries. A death certificate listed traumatic brain injury as the immediate cause of death.
Police said the suspect allegedly struck the child with a bamboo stick and hurt him repeatedly while the victim was left under his and his wife’s care.
According to the child’s mother, she and her husband were at work at the time of the incident. She said they would leave the child, their only child, with her sibling, but circumstances changed that day.
“Maaga po yung duty ko kaya sabi ko sa biyenan ko iwan ko sa kaniya kasi rest day niya rin po,” the victim’s mother said.
She said she believed, initially, that her son had just fallen or was feeling unwell before she learned about what actually happened.
“Ang alam ko, baka nalaglag o nasusuka lang... Nanghina na po ako. Hindi na po ako nakatayo sa harap niya,” she said.
Relatives said the child’s grandmother was doing laundry and was unaware of what was happening inside the house. Upon returning, she reportedly found her husband wiping blood from the floor before discovering the child injured.
A news team that visited the house found bloodstains still visible inside the residence. Family members also said there were traces believed to indicate the child may have tried to move away toward another room.
A neighbor said construction work nearby may have drowned out any sound from the house.
“Wala [kami narinig] kasi may construction doon, di namin marinig, yung grinder ba tapos pinapatulog ko yung dalawang bata,” the neighbor said.
Police said the suspect allegedly tried to flee but was arrested. Relatives told authorities he had reportedly been experiencing depression.
The suspect apologized during questioning.
“Sorry po, sorry po,” he said.
Police have yet to issue a detailed statement as authorities prepare to file a parricide case against the suspect.
