BAGUIO CITY — The Mountain Province Police Provincial Office condemned the killing of a 3-year-old child in Barangay Banawel, Natonin, as authorities identified two minors as suspects in the case.

Police said the child, who had gone missing on 23 May, was later found unconscious behind a church in the village.

According to reports, the victim’s grandmother noticed the child was missing at around 2 p.m., prompting residents to organize a search operation across the community.

The child was eventually found at around 7:30 a.m. the following day and rushed to the hospital, where she was later declared dead.

The local government of Mountain Province extended condolences to the victim’s family, while police said the incident deeply affected both residents and law enforcement personnel.

Following what authorities described as an intensive investigation conducted with the help of the Natonin local government and residents, two minor suspects were identified.

The suspects and their parents were later referred to the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office of Natonin for intervention and legal disposition under Republic Act No. 9344.