Nineteen years ago, Ernesto Miguel "Earl" Dollente, who was then 2 years old, was kidnapped in front of his home along S. Castillo St. in Pateros. His mom, Laurie Dollente, made an appeal on Facebook on the 19th anniversary of his abduction, hoping to finally find her long-lost son. Her post has since been shared over 2000 times but has yet to produce leads.
The photo shows an adorable boy surrounded by stuffed toys: Mickey Mouse, Bananas in Pyjamas. His tentative smile is a sharp contrast to his fate which remains unknown to this day.
The abduction
According to the post, Earl and his Ate Patty, who was 7 years old at the time, gave their mom flowers that they had just picked. It would be the last time Mrs. Dollente saw him. "Imagine how painful for a mother to always think of that last moment," his mother wrote.
When the two children decided to get more flowers from outside their house located at S. Castillo St. in Pateros, Earl was kidnapped. It happened around 5pm on May 27, 1997. Unfortunately, his sister did not see how. Since the incident, the family's search has been in vain.
A message and a prayer
The post, which included a message to Earl, explained, "Anak (Child), wherever you are now, I want you to know that we moved heaven and earth to find you but everything proved futile. We were like searching for a needle in a haystack. You should have celebrated your 21st birthday last February 16 with us, your family who's been so longing for your return. Come home to us anak, we love you very, very much."
Mrs. Dollente also included a brief prayer, "Lord, like I always pray, I beg you that before I see you, allow me to please see my son first."
On the next page: What Earl could look like now
Help the family
To aid in the search, Mrs. Dollente provided theAsianparent with a photo of her husband (whom her son looks like) when he was in his 20's.
Given these photos, here is what he could look like now:
Social media has been successful in solving decades old mysteries before. With the popularity of Facebook in the Philippines, we are hoping together with the Dollente family that the case will finally be solved. Please help them by sharing this story.
READ: Child uses Facebook to find lonely neighbor's long-lost sister
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