After almost 9 years, Lenin Baylon's family has finally received the correct death certificate — stating that he was shot and did not die of illness.
Lenin, who was 9 years old at the time, died on December 2, 2016 after being hit by a stray bullet during a drug-related shootout in Caloocan City. He was just three days away from his 10th birthday.
Initially, the death certificate listed bronchopneumonia because the family could not afford the P16,000 for an autopsy. They were forced to sign a waiver just to bury Lenin. According to IDEALS, a legal group that helps the poor, this was a incorrect record that has now been corrected.
According to Rodrigo Baylon, Lenin's father:
"Finally, we got the truth. My heart is both happy and sad. He should be a young man now, but he was not given a chance to live a normal life."
This is the first time that an incorrect death certificate related to the drug war has been corrected, according to IDEALS lawyers. It is an important precedent for other families still seeking justice for their loved ones.
