Baby John’s plight touches Netizens

Netizens have taken note of the plight of Baby John Aron Charles Angeles, who has reportedly been held “hostage” at a Laguna hospital for the past four months because his parents don’t have the money to pay the bills.

Sympathetic readers are tweeting celebrities and friends to help the baby and mother, who is reportedly not even allowed to hug or breastfeed the baby by officials of the University of Perpetual Help Hospital-Dr. Jose Tamayo Medical Center.

The hospital says the parents owe more than P700,000 for the delivery and care of the premature baby.

One tweeter, who goes by the name TrevorCM, tweeted his celebrity friends to appeal for help. “I got some calling to do in anyway I can to seek help for this baby… family so poor. I hope my prayers will be answered. I’m so touched by this news but saddened that no money to give,” he wrote.

He tweeted the likes of international singers Lea Salonga, Charice Pempengco and television journalist Ces Drilon.

Other reactions ranged from offering prayers to asking for a follow-up story.

“Please do a follow-up story on whether this baby ‘hostaged’ to the current ‘nonhealth care’ system in the Philippines will be able to go home for Christmas,” one respondent said.

The Inquirer learned from the hospital’s staff that the couple had been to different government hospitals in Manila and they were refused admission for some reason or other. Some facilities claimed they did not have incubators for premature babies.

“We accommodated them because we wanted to help them,” Dr. Evelyn Buenaventura, Perpetual Help hospital director, said.

Earlier, the baby’s mother, Eleonor Escarpe, complained that she has not been allowed to touch her 4-month-old baby.

She said she tried to talk to hospital staff, pleading that it was her right as a mother.

“It was not our intention really to put the hospital in a bad light. We’re confused. We just want to ask for help,” Escarpe said in Filipino.

At the end of the meeting, Buenaventura reportedly told Escarpe and her partner Edgar Angeles that the hospital would not add anymore charges to their statement of account on Nov. 10 but they need to pay the bill—or at least get guarantors and donors—to bring the baby home.

As of Wednesday, the balance was down to P661,656.14, after the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office guaranteed a donation of P50,000.

Those who want to help bring Baby John home for Christmas can call Escarpe at 0999-5721514. She said financial assistance can be deposited in her brother’s bank account at Bank of the Philippine Islands (Muntinlupa City branch), 8329-1600-41.