BACOLOD CITY – An eight-year-old boy missing for more than three weeks was found dead on a riverbank between Barangays Damutan and Bacuyangan in Hinoba-an, Negros Occidental on Thursday, June 11, three days after his eighth birth anniversary.

According to Police Major Eric Doronilla, Hinoba-an police chief, the child was reported missing after he failed to return home on May 21.

The boy was sent by his aunt to gather betel leaves, locally known as “buyo,” accompanied by his uncle.

His uncle returned home but the boy did not. His family believed that he was lost in the forest.

Doronilla said the boy and his uncle had mental disabilities but were often entrusted with simple errands.

The victim’s auntie sought police assistance on May 29 after relatives spent a week searching for the child on their own.

Authorities, residents, and rescue volunteers joined the search. However, the uncle was unable to recall the exact location where he last saw  his nephew.

Search efforts were further complicated by the dense forest terrain which required rescuers to create temporary trails and use ropes as guides.

On June 11, residents discovered the child’s decomposing body on a riverbank. Due to safety concerns and the difficult location, retrieval operations were carried out the following day.

Doronilla noted that the boy turned eight on June 9, just three days before his body was recovered. He was under the care of his aunt for years.

The child’s parents do not suspect foul play and believe he may have succumbed to hunger while lost in the forest. His family declined an autopsy.