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John Unson - Philstar.com
April 4, 2026 | 3:42pm
The stepfather who beat a preschool child, now in a hospital, in Zamboanga City late Friday, April 3, 2026, is now locked in a police detention facility.
Philstar.com / John Unson
Trigger warning: child abuse, violence
COTABATO CITY, Philippines — A stepfather landed in jail after beating his four-year-old stepson in Barangay Mampang in Zamboanga City on Friday, April 3.
Local executives and barangay leaders said they will help relatives of the child, now confined to a hospital, in critical condition, prosecute his stepfather, Jay-Ar Habibon, for violation of the Republic Act 7610, also known as Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, serious physical injuries and frustrated infanticide.
Investigators from a station close to Barangay Mampang of the Zamboanga City Police Office and community leaders in the area said Habibon attacked the child in the presence of his mother, whom he also punched, slapped and kicked repeatedly for trying to intervene.
Relatives of the injured child want Habibon tested for use of narcotics.
They are convinced that Habibon is using illegal drugs, citing his sudden mood swings and tendency to become agitated and violent even over minor misunderstandings.
