A landlady removed an apartment’s roof, and door after its tenants, a woman, and her two-year-old child failed to pay rent amid the COVID-19 crisis and lockdown.
According to Princess Remureran, a resident of Barangay 167 in Caloocan, her husband lost his job as a factory worker in Bulacan.
As a result, they failed to pay P5,000 for the two-month rent of the apartment.
On Friday, Remureran said their furious landlady came and removed the roof and door of the house, forcing them to leave the apartment.
“Bigla na lang siyang bumaba dito tapos sabi samin ang kakapal ng mukha kasi di nagbabayad-upa,” said Remureran.
(All of sudden, she came down and told us we were shameless because we were not able to pay the rent.)
The landlady also threatened her neighbor Glenda that her roof would also be removed if she would not settle her dues.
The landlady also took the rice cooker of the two tenants because they consumed electricity and did not pay for it.
Remureran already reported the incident to the barangay and the police.
According to Captain Antonio Reyes of Barangay 167, his staff had already discussed the matter with the landlady and ordered her to restore the roof of the rented house.
“Panawagan sa mga nagpapaupa, nananatili tayong sumusunod sa kautusan ng Pangulo. Huwag na muna maniningil ang mga may-ari ng paupahan kasi tayo ay may pandemya,” he said.
(We appeal to landlords to simply comply with the President’s order. Lease owners should not charge for now because we have a pandemic.)
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The 71-year-old landlady insists that many of the tenants in her 40 apartment units were able to pay rent.
She said she needed a lot of money for her medicine and for her husband, who suffered a stroke, and for grandchildren.
She knew that what she had done was forbidden, so she ordered to put the roof back.
She also said that Remureran had borrowed 30 kilos of rice and said she would work for her to pay for it, but she did not come.
The landlady could face criminal charges, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said in a DZMM interview.
Remureran is determined to sue the landlady after the lockdown.