Single mum's death sparks calls for justice

MANILA • Philippine celebrities have joined calls to bring justice for a mother who died along a highway in Metropolitan Manila, waiting for five days for a bus ride home to her family in Camarines Sur.

As #JusticeforMichelleSilvertino trended on Twitter, several entertainers called out the government for what they said was its incompetence that led to the tragic death.

Ms Michelle Silvertino, 33, who died after being stranded for five days on a footbridge in Pasay City waiting to no avail for a bus to take her home to Calabanga, was picked up by policemen twice, just hours before her death.

The single mother who worked as a maid was declared dead on arrival at the hospital last Friday. The death certificate said the victim, who leaves four children aged three to 11, was likely a severe coronavirus case.

Police Lieutenant-Colonel Deanry Francisco confirmed she was picked up by two policemen on the night of June 4: "They saw she had Covid-19 symptoms... But (she) insisted that she was okay, so they returned her to the footbridge."

After two hours, they received a call about an unconscious woman, and returned to take her to hospital.

Mr Jhimbo Mojica, a pavement clearing worker who met Ms Silvertino on June 3, posted her plea for help to get a bus ride home on social media, which went viral. He said that when he called her the next day, "she was excited and happy (that help was on the way)".

"She told the street dwellers there that finally, she would see her four children. I did not notice that she was sick," he said.

PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK

• Additional reporting by Raul Dancel