Melai Cantiveros (Elena) plays the character of a mother who was locked up for three days by her neighbor, to whom she owed P60,000, in “Ipaglaban Mo” this Saturday (July 19).
Elena, a laundrywoman, only finished second grade in elementary. But she had big dreams for her three children. So she strived to send them to college.
Elena, however, did not earn enough for her family. Her husband had no permanent job. So she would always borrow money from her neighbor Gloria (Malou de Guzman), a sari-sari store owner. But then Gloria, an enterprising woman, charged a substantial interest on Elena’s loans. Then one day, Elena’s debts reached P60,000.
Desperate Elena would hide from Gloria whenever the latter would come to collect payment. Gloria got mad upon learning this, so she locked up Elena in her warehouse. She refused to set her free unless she signed a promissory note.
Elena suffered from dehydration and was hospitalized because of this. Her situation became worse because of her hypertension and diabetes. Elena fought for her rights and filed an illegal detention case against Gloria. Will the court take Elena’s side? What punishment might Gloria face?
Also joining the cast in this week’s episode, titled “Nang Dahil Sa Utang” and directed by Theodore Boborol, are Amy Nobleza, Yves Flores, Reign Tolentino, JB Agustin, and Paolo O’hara.
[stextbox id=”astig”]Don’t miss “Ipaglaban Mo,” the drama anthology that empowers Filipinos with knowledge of their legal rights and obligations, hosted by Atty. Jose Sison and Jopet Sison, this Saturday (July 19) after “It’s Showtime” on ABS-CBN. For more updates follow @IpaglabanMo2 on Twitter, @IpaglabanmoABSCBN on Instagram, and like the Facebook page www.Facebook.com/IpaglabanMoABSCBN.[/stextbox]