Autopsy reveals cause of death for son of slain policewoman

• The Central Luzon police confirmed on Friday that 8-year-old John Ysmael Mollenido died of asphyxia by suffocation based on recent autopsy results
• The young boy’s remains were discovered on Thursday afternoon hidden at a calamansi farm in Barangay Maluid, Victoria, Tarlac
• The discovery follows the tragic death of his mother, PSMS Diane Marie Mollenido, whose body was found earlier in a creek in Pulilan, Bulacan
• Local authorities noted that the child was wrapped heavily in plastic which prevented the immediate detection of the body’s scent by passersby

A heartbreaking search operation has come to a tragic conclusion as authorities confirmed the death of 8-year-old John Ysmael Mollenido. On Friday, the Central Luzon police released the results of an autopsy performed on the child, revealing that he died of asphyxia by suffocation.

The young boy had been missing for over a week, a disappearance that sparked a massive search effort across several provinces. His body was finally located on Thursday afternoon in a calamansi farm in Victoria, Tarlac. The grim discovery was made by a local grass cutter in Barangay Maluid.

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According to Victoria Police Chief PMaj. Marty Calara, the body was not immediately noticed because of how it was concealed. “Hindi umano agad nangamoy ang labi ni John Ysmael Mollenido dahil balot na balot ng plastic nang matagpuan ng isang magdadamo sa isang farm sa Bgy. Maluid nitong Huwebes ng hapon,” Calara explained.

The timeline of the tragedy traces back to January 16, when John Ysmael was last seen alive in Novaliches, Quezon City. He was with his mother, Police Staff Sergeant (PSMS) Diane Marie Mollenido. The case turned dark on January 24 when the officer’s decomposing body was discovered in a creek along the Pulilan-Baliuag Bypass Road in Bulacan.

The death of the mother and son has sent shockwaves through the law enforcement community. PSMS Diane Marie Mollenido was a dedicated member of the Philippine National Police, and the brutal nature of her and her son's deaths has led to an intensified investigation into the motive behind the killings.

Authorities are now piecing together how the victims ended up in two different provinces—Bulacan and Tarlac—after last being seen in Quezon City. The police are looking into potential leads and persons of interest who may be responsible for this double tragedy that has claimed the lives of a public servant and her innocent child.

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The community and fellow officers have expressed deep mourning for the Mollenido family. As the investigation shifts toward identifying the perpetrators, the focus remains on seeking justice for the young boy whose life was cut short far too soon.

The search for the Mollenido family had been a developing story that gripped the nation as the days passed without news of the child.

This report details the initial discovery of PSMS Diane Marie Mollenido in a creek in Pulilan. At the time, authorities and relatives were still desperately hoping to find her 8-year-old son alive. The police had already begun a wide-scale operation across neighboring provinces to track down the boy's whereabouts.

Following the tragic lead in Bulacan, this article covers the moment the boy's body was identified in a Tarlac farm. It highlights the sorrow of the family and the local community as the search ended in a devastating loss. The report also mentions the police's commitment to finding those responsible for the crime.

Source: KAMI.com.gh