Wife of man arrested by cops climbs billboard in Manila

A woman who claimed that her husband was wrongly arrested by policemen climbed a billboard in Manila early Friday morning, Radio dzBB reported. The report said that the billboard, with the height of a "six-storey building," is located between the buildings of the Philippine Post Office and the National Press Club of the Philippines. Operatives from the Bureau of Fire Protection immediately responded and lowered down the woman, who was initially identified as Merlinda Castillo, 31. a resident of Asuncion St., Tondo, Manila. She is now in the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). It was found that the woman is a mother of two girls - Hansel, 4, and Aubrey, 3 - who were also placed under the custody of the DSWD. Reports said Castillo brought her daughters to the NPC in Intramuros, Manila at 8:30 a.m. She left her children near the Jones Bridge. She then climbed to the billboard at the NPC Compound while her children kept crying. The woman was at the billboard for almost an hour before she was brought to the ground for safety. Authorities climbed to billboard, grabbed the victim and tied her up and brought her to the ground. She later regained her senses and said she was despondent after husband, Hansel Castillo, was arrested by operatives of the Manila Police District – Station 2 for robbery last May 17, 2007 on Kagitingan Street, Tondo, Manila. She said she was so worried that on how to raise her four children. "Yung kaso ng asawa ko na binaboy ng mga pulis... kaya po nakakulong asawa ko, ayaw nilang palabasin (The police bastardized by husband's case... that is why he's in jail. They won't release him),"Castillo said after she was brought down. A sobbing Castillo added that her confusion was aggravated by problems in their house. "Kaya po ako pumanik kasi 'di ko po alam kung ano gagawin ko. Lahat ng nag-aalaga sa anak ko, sumusuko. Nagtatrabaho po ako (I climbed up because I don't know what else to do. I'm working and the baby-sitters have all given up),"she said. In April, a similar incident happened when a 27-year old man climbed another billboard in Epifanio de los Santos Ave., after his wife left her. He was brought down safely. - GMANews.TV