63-year-old son hides cadaver of 90-year old mother

ILOILO CITY, Philippines - The reeking odor disturbing the neighborhood of Zone 3 in Sta. Barbara town of Iloilo led to the discovery of the cadaver of a 90-year-old woman late Sunday afternoon.

Village officials and members of the Sta. Barbara Police Station found the body of Epitacia Montre inside the house, which he shared only with her 63-year-old son, Felicisimo.

Chief Insp. Elmer Armada, chief of the Sta. Barbara Police Station, said the old woman could have been dead for more than 24 hours.

Prior to that, the police received reports from barangay officials claiming that Montre's neighbors were complaining of a foul smell emanating from her house. When policemen arrived at the house to check, Felicisimo, who was armed with a knife, forbid them from entering the house.

Shortly after however he agreed with the police's proddings to put down his knife and let them go inside the house.

Reports stated that Felicisimo could be suffering from mental illness that drove him to conceal his mother's death.

Armada said they found no foul play in Epitacia's death. "From the looks of it, she could have died of old age," he said, although an investigation has been going on to determine the exact cause of her death.

Felicisimo however has been put in police's custody because of his apparent inability to look after himself, said Armada. — THE FREEMAN