Earl

Earl Dollente

I first heard about him on the news. Much later, I and my wife watched his life on Mel Tiangco's  TV program, Magpakailan Man,

Earl Dollente of Pateros was just almost 3 years old when he disappeared, deemed kidnapped by his family on May 27, 1997 at about 5 in the afternoon. That was some 19 years ago. My own son then was just a year old. Earl and my eldest son somewhat look alike when they were kids, so my heart cried out the first time I heard about his story.

Last night, while watching his story on TV, my wife and I were nearly crying. And I was so furious. I asked myself, was that the life prepared by fate for Earl, to be abducted and gone from his family the rest of his life? And what happened to his abductors? Did they suffer at all? Were they punished by God? If so, how come they were able to live with it? It probably wasn't punishment enough.

Crazy thoughts were running through my mind. But I prayed for the kid more and trusted God. He always knows what's best.

But Earl. How about him?

I tried to imagine the sufferings of the family through the years---especially the mom. I'm often like that, I try to imagine the plight of suffering people. Imagine wondering where the kid was and where you'd look for him the first day he was missing. Where in the world would you look for a kidnapped kid just 3 years old? He's still wearing diapers! And that horror went on for days, weeks, months and then years.

Imagine living with that.

I felt so angry. I wanted to kill whoever it was that took that poor kid from his family.

He probably has a different identity today. I don't know if he still remembers his abduction, but age sometimes changes a lot. Probably he was sold to a foreign couple and now living somewhere in Europe or the US, trained up to look to them as his real parents, forgetting everything in his past.

Or probably he was sold as a slave and is now living a wrecked life. Worse, he's probably dead, buried in an unmarked grave in the wilds. Imagine what these worthless abductors did to him and then all they'd suffer is hell when they die? I don't think hell is enough for them. How can they sleep and have peace all these years?

How can people do something like that to a kid?

Each time I hear about kids being abused, harmed or killed, a different rage in my heart boils up. Why harm these helpless children? They cannot defend themselves. That's why people who hurt kids are the most coward people on earth.

I hope and pray Earl will be reunited with his family soon. God please help them. Thank you God for being our Answer for everything.