Video of young girl hit by ‘step-mom’ goes viral

The kid went on saying it was ‘Berna,’ pointing to the woman sitting beside her hospital bed, who supposedly attacked her. The child was referring to Berna Espina, her alleged step-mother. (File photo: Erika Jhane/Facebook)

A video of a young girl allegedly beaten by her step-mother sparked outrage after it went viral on Saturday, August 12.

In a nine-minute video that surfaced on Facebook, the kid, whose eyes are horribly swollen due to the beating, was seen trying to tell what exactly happened to her.

Asked, “Anong ginawa sa’yo (What happened to you)?” the young girl answered, “ano… nabugbog, tampal, palo (I was beaten, slapped, and hit).”

The kid went on saying it was ‘Berna,’ pointing to the woman sitting beside her hospital bed, who supposedly attacked her. The child was referring to Berna Espina, her alleged step-mother.

The child was repeatedly asked to tell how she obtained the bruises she has on her face and body, but the young girl kept saying she was, “nabugbog (was hit).”

The camera then focused on Espina as she was asked what she can say about it; however, the former just kept mum.

Asked what they should do to her father and step-mother, the kid innocently pointed at her father and  said she does not want anything bad to happen to him as she loves him despite the incident.

Marimar Quilap, the girl’s biological mother, posted on Facebook the photos of her daughter’s current situation and wrote, “Punyet* ka (Berna Espina) anung ginawa mu sa anak ko gawain ba yan ng isang matinong tao? Ganu ba kalake kasalanan ng anak ko sayo at ganyan ginawa mu halos patayin muna eh. Sana kung anu man yung naranasan ng anak ko sayo sana mangyare din sayo sana triplehin pa yung mangyare sayo (Damn you Berna Espina. What did you do to my child? Is that what normal people do? What did my daughter do to you for you to almost kill her? Whatever my child had experienced, I hope it would also happen to you. I wish it would be a lot worse).”

In another post, the young girl’s aunt, Erika Jhane, also posted photos of Espina and her niece along with a caption, “Hindi ito isang simpleng bagay lang para manahimik ako. Marami na kaming pinalagpas na ginawa mo sa pamangkin ko Berna. Anong ginawa sayo ng bata para ganyanin mo? Masahol kapa sa masahol (This is not something I should keep quiet about. You have done may things to my niece that we just ignored. What did the kid do to you for you to do such thing? You are worse than all others).”

“Kundi pa puntahan ng nanay ko talagang wala kayong balak ipaalam na ganyan na pala yung lagay ng bata? Halos di na makakita sa sobrang pasa sa mucha (If my mother did not go to you, you would not let us know the real situation of the child? She could barely see because of the bruises she has on her face),” she added.

Mentioning the kid’s father on her post, Erika said “Melvin De Vera… Ikaw naturingang tatay ka, wala kang nagawa??? At mas pinili mo ppa yang babae mo kesa sa anak mo… Napakawalang puso (You are the father, yet you did not do anything? You even chose your partner over you daughter. You are heartless)!!!”

Netizens were also outraged by this incident, with some speculating that the alleged step-mother was into illegal drugs and some saying the perpetrator should be held liable for her actions.

Facebook user Jasmine Canuto Dinampo said, “Pakulong na ‘yang babaeng ‘yan…nakakaawa ung bata…sa nangyari sa knya…sana inalagaan mo (Berna) na lng siya sa yakap ng pag mamahal sa idad yan…. ang sakit-sakit tignan may ganitong tao salbahe sa mga bata (She must be in jail. I pity the child because of what happened to her. You (Berna) should just have taken good care of her. It hurts to see that there is someone who could be this bad to children).”

User Nino Bidar said “Baka lulong sa shabu yan Bernang yan, hindi magagwa ng matinong tao yan, kung tao pa ang vernan yan, kawawa ang bata (Maybe Berna is into drugs. Normal people would not do that, if she is even a person. The child is pitiful.”

“P******** ‘YAN MASAMANG MAGMURA PERO MAS MASAMA KA (Berna) PA SA MURA KANG HAYOP KA, SI GOD NA BAHALA SAU NAKAKATAKOT KA PANU NA LANG KAPAG NANGANAK KANA ANUNA GAGANYANIN MO DIN YUNG MAGIGING ANAK MONG K*PAL KA?!!! SIGURO KULANG KA SA PAGMAMAHAL NG MAGULANG KAYA KA GANYAN OR SHOULD I SAY ‘DI KA MINAHAL NG MAGULANG MO KAYA NANDAMAY KA NG BATA. KAGIGIL AMPUTA (Son of a b*tch, I know it is bad to curse but you are a lot worse. God would just take care of you. You are scary. What if you have a child, would you do the same thing? Maybe you lacked in parental affection that is why you did that? Or should I say your parents do not love you that is why you took your anger on the kid. You are getting into my nerves)!!!” netizen Quijano A Rex wrote.

Meanwhile, Facebook user Arnel Manabat Calimag suggested, “pabulok nyu sa kulungan yung babae tsaka ipa torture nyu pra maranasan nya kung ganu kasakit (She should be left to rot in prison and be tortured for her to experience the how painful it is).”

As of writing, there are no further details about the incident, but Erika’s Facebook post garnered 170,000 reactions, 93,000 comments, and 138,000 shares. Meanwhile, the original uploader of the video cannot be tracked, but the clip was reposted by some Facebook pages such as Master Epong, where it obtained 99,000 views, 925 reactions, 453 comments, and 3,200 shares.