73-year-old being locked up in Pangasinan house

For four years, a padlocked house served as a prison for a 73-year-old woman in Laoac town in Pangasinan province.

The senior citizen was visited but not quite rescued by authorities who learned of her plight, GMA Dagupan's Joanne Ponsoy reported Thursday.

A non-government organization had alerted the town social welfare office and the police to the old woman's plight.

An investigation showed the senior citizen was imprisoned in the house because her relatives considered her deranged.

"Mabaho na yong bahay na tinitirhan niya. Hindi nililinisan, hindi rin siya pinapaliguan," said a member of an NGO that entered the house, adding there is no electricity there.

Authorities also found the old woman was not allowed to leave the house lest she supposedly hurt the neighbors.

But a neighbor said the old woman may have had attacked people, including a child.

"Minsan na niya kasing tinaga sa ulo ang aming apo at pinsan," said neighbor Dominga Patilla.

One of the children of the old woman said they decided to let her live in the house. "Ina namin siya. Gusto lang namin siya... hindi naman namin maatim na saktan siya," said the child.

"Pinalagyan namin (ng kuryente) yan dati kaya lang, sinira niya. Tinanggal namin kasi baka makuryente siya," the child added, in explaining why there was no power in the house.

No 'rescue' yet

Representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development and Philippine National Police visited the old woman to rescue her but could not immediately "rescue" her as they could not yet find a suitable home that would care for her.

"May kamag-anak naman siya na gustong mag-alaga. Kung ire-refer natin sa Bahay Kalinga sa Manila, dapat abandoned na siya," said Laoac municipal social welfare and development office staff member Nelly Pajela.
 
For now, the MSWD will regularly visit the senior citizen to monitor her condition. — Joel Locsin/LBG, GMA News