Autopsy finds stab wounds on newborn found dead in Toboso

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — An autopsy found stab wounds on a newborn girl discovered dead inside a rice sack in Barangay General Luna, Toboso, Negros Occidental, on Sept. 3, police said.

In a phone interview Tuesday, Police Capt. Judesses Catalogo, spokesperson for the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO), said the baby died of hemorrhagic shock caused by stab wounds.

He said the infant had wounds on the front and back of her body.

Catalogo said the autopsy findings would support the investigation into possible foul play in the child’s death.

The baby’s mother, who is a minor, is in the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development pending an assessment of her condition and a decision on whether to file a formal complaint, he said.

Catalogo said witness accounts led police to identify the mother as a person of interest in the case.

Authorities declined to disclose further details, citing the ongoing investigation.

The Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act requires authorities to protect the identities of children alleged to have committed offenses and keep their records and proceedings confidential.

Investigators are also determining whether the mother’s boyfriend, whom police identified as the child’s father, had any involvement in the incident.

The infant was discovered after a resident noticed a sack beside a neighbor’s house and checked its contents, police said.

Inside, he found the baby wrapped in cloth and reported the discovery to authorities.

Catalogo said the baby had been buried.