The windows were up, the AC was off and the time was approximately 4am. What were the parents thinking?
There was an outcry in the Philippines when a video recording of a child left alone in a locked car went viral on social media.
According to Asia One, the crying toddler was found all alone and locked up inside a Toyota Fortuner in the parking lot of Metrowalk in Pasig, a commercial hub famous for bars and live bands. It was around 4am.
Luckily for the toddler, Jasper Pascual's car was parked right next to the Fortuner. Otherwise, he probably would not have heard the child crying.
Child Left Alone in a Locked Car
In a post that went viral, Pascual wrote that he was about to go home when he heard what sounded like a child crying in the locked Fortuner.
At first, he wasn't sure if anyone else was inside the car as it was heavily tinted. But just as he was about to get into his own car, he heard the toddler hitting the car window as his cries got even louder.
Throughout the entire video, the crying toddler can be seen peering outside the car's window. You can clearly hear the frustration in Pascual's voice as he struggled to think of a way to get the child out. In the video, you can see him trying to widen the gap on the car window by prying it with his fingers.
Pascual was shocked beyond words that there was a child left alone in a locked car. The car's engine was off, there was no aircon and the child was suffocating.
"(Just) imagine! In the darkness of the parking area of Metrowalk. Would it cross your mind that there's a baby inside a car with no companion?"
This is saddening. Just think how long the child had been crying prior to Pascual's discovery. We shudder to think of other possibilities if Pascual did not hear or notice anything amiss that night.
In the end, Pascual managed to call the security guard to help look for the parents of the toddler.
Instead of apologising and being grateful, the mother of the child had the cheek to scold the guard for calling them. We also understand that the mother even tried to justify her actions, saying the door wasn't locked and that she was only gone for "10 minutes".
In his post, Pascual praised the guard for standing his ground.
"No ma'am, you're really in the wrong. We can have you apprehended because this is a child you left right there."
It took another 10 more minutes before the father of the child showed up. Pascual stepped back and left the guard to handle the situation as he did not want a fight to happen. Even though Pascual did get pictures of the parents of the child left alone in a locked car, he has decided not to shame them publicly.
He ended his post with plea and word of caution to all parents:
"May this be a lesson to everyone, so it won't happen again. It is not good to have fun while neglecting your child. Let this be a lesson to you! If you have a child, then you should be responsible!"
Updates from local reports say that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) may take temporary custody of the child left alone in a locked car by the couple in Pasig City on Sunday.
"How can you continue to call yourself parents knowing that your baby is in the car? Did you not think it was possible for your baby to die? Can you imagine if a gang were to break into your car to steal your valuables. Did you not think that your young child could have been sold?"
You definitely said it for us Pascual. Parents should never leave children unattended in a car, even if the windows are open or the air conditioning is on.
We're sorry to be blunt here, but this is just lazy parenting at its worst. It is NOT okay to put your child at risk for your own convenience.
Read also: 5-year-old girl dies after being left in locked car: an urgent safety reminder