Baguio couple who claimed 7-year-old nephew died by suicide face murder charges

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – The Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) is set to file murder complaints against the guardians of a 7-year-old boy who they had claimed died by suicide last May 30.

BCPO Police Director Colonel  Colonel Allen Rae Co  said that they will file the complaints against Lolly Ann Dalipog and husband Efren Dalipog. Lolly Ann is the sister of the boy’s mother, who is working in Hongkong.

Co said that they will also file a complaint against Lolly Ann for violation of Republic Act No. 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act, for bringing out the boy’s body without permission.

According to a police report, Lolly Ann said she went out of their apartment in Barangay Ambiong at about 3 pm to buy rice, and when she came back two hours later, she allegedly saw the boy kneeling on the floor unconscious, with a scarf used as a noose.

The boy was brought to the hospital and died the following day.

Co said that the alibi was already suspicious because it would be hard for someone to die by hanging that way – in a kneeling position. The doctor at the hospital where the boy was brought to also discovered bruises and abrasions on the child’s buttocks, thighs, and back.

Co said that the guardians insisted on waiving the conduct of autopsy, citing religious and cultural restrictions. But Co said that an autopsy was needed to rule out the possibility of foul play.

On the afternoon of June 1, however, Lolly Ann and two men decided to transport the body to Banaue, Ifugao. But Baguio police tipped Bokod police along the Ambuklao route and intercepted the vehicle.  

“Due to humanitarian consideration, they were allowed to pass the checkpoint. But before Mrs Dalipog and company left, they executed an undertaking to allow the conduct of autopsy,” the BCPO statement said.

“This undertaking, however, was just a trick to deceive the police officers because they later refused to honor said undertaking and insisted to bury the victim on June 4, 2020. This prompted this Office to immediately seek the intervention of the Prosecutor’s Office of Baguio City and Ifugao Province,” the statement added.

The Ifugao provincial prosecutor issued an autopsy order and the BCPO Laboratory Office conducted the autopsy.

Co said that the autopsy report showed that the cause of death was asphyxia due to strangulation.

He also said that neighbors who were asked as witnesses said that no one left the apartment at 3 pm on May 30 and that they only heard a commotion and a child crying at 5 pm. Then after a few minutes, the crying stopped, and then Lolly Ann began calling for help and said that the boy died by suicide. – Rappler.com