8-month-old infant, siblings rescued after alleged abandonment in Pililla, Rizal

An eight-month-old infant, a six-year-old boy, and an eight-year-old girl were rescued by authorities after allegedly being abandoned by their parents in Barangay Bagumbayan, Pililla, Rizal.

In a ”24 Oras” report by Bam Alegre on Friday, the siblings were left on their own without any food. It was their neighbors who fed them and reported their situation online to seek help from the authorities.

“Nakahiga po siya sa kama, ‘yung isa, may kapansanan po… ‘yung isa naman po ay nakadapa po sa flooring. Sa kagustuhan po ng ating mga MSW (municipal social workers), tinulungan po kami,” Barangay Peacekeeping and Security Officer Chief Danilo Probadora said.

(One of them was lying on the bed—the one with a disability—while the other was lying face down on the floor. Because our MSW wanted to intervene, they assisted us.)

As of publishing, the three children are under the custody of the local government's municipal social welfare office.

According to the eight-year-old girl, they were asleep when their parents left them.

“Yung sagot lang po sa amin nung batang babae po, sir, ay ‘di raw po nila alam kung bakit sila iniwanan. Sa mga nag-report po sa amin, sir, basta na lang daw po iniwanan nung magulang ’yan nang walang pasabi,” Probadora said.

(The young girl told us, sir, that they don’t know why they were left. According to those who reported the incident to us, the parents just left them without a word.)

At the barangay hall, the three siblings were reunited with their 14-year-old brother, who had allegedly left their home due to physical abuse from their father, according to the eight-year-old girl.

The local government personnel are currently searching for the parents. Authorities have yet to determine why the children were abandoned.

“Sabi nga inabandona raw po ng magulang. Kami naman pong mga BPSO ‘pag ganiyan pong kailangan ng tulong e kami po’y hindi nagpapatumpik-tumpik,” Probadora said.

(As they said, it appears the parents abandoned them. For us BPSO officers, when help is needed like this, we do not hesitate to act.) —Lyjah Tiffany Bonzo/LDF, GMA News