The midwife who was arrested for selling a baby online admitted that she sold the infant to pay for her expenses, according to John Consulta’s Thursday report on ”24 Oras.”
The suspect said she had no intention of selling the baby online and looked for adopters on Facebook as the mother left the baby after giving birth.
“Wala naman akong alam na hindi na niya (mother) babalikan. Eh kaso yung mga ginastos ko, need ko na talaga, dahil wala na po akong ibang kinukunan ng income. Siyempre may mga bayarin ako. Ginastos ko talaga yun sa bata, yung kinukuha ko,” the midwife said.
(I did not know that she would abandon the baby. I needed the money for my expenses since I had no other source of income. Of course, I have bills to pay. I really spent the money I got on the baby.)
According to the Department of Justice, the midwife was arrested on July 16 in Muntinlupa for selling a six-day-old baby for P25,000.
The midwife also offered to forge a birth certificate and make it appear legitimate, the National Bureau of Investigation Human Trafficking Division (NBI HTRAD) said.
“Sinabi na siya na ang pipirma sa birth certificate dahil siya ang kumadrona at siya na rin ang magpaparegister, so mapapangalan doon sa amin na magaampon,” NBI HTRAD agent Lolibeth Jane Calisi said.
(She said she would sign the birth certificate because she is a midwife and she will be the one to register the baby, so the adopter will be the baby’s parents.)
The midwife also said the mother did not want the infant.
She added that she did not know the mother’s name or address.
“Hinahanap po namin ang nanay. Kung mapapatunayang inabandona niya ang bata ay maaari naming kasuhan ng child abuse for neglect and abandonment sa kanyang sariling anak,” said NBI HTRAD chief Olga Angustia-Gonzales.
(We are looking for the mother. If it is proven that she abandoned the baby, she will be charged with child abuse for neglect and abandonment of her baby.)
The DOJ said a complaint was filed against the midwife for violation of Section 4(g) of Republic Act 9208 as amended by RA 10364 and RA 11862, also known as the “Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Child Trafficking under RA 7610, or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, in relation to RA 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act.
“Wala po bata ang dapat mawalay sa kanyang mga magulang at pamilya. Karapatan po ng bawat bata ang mahalin at lumaki ng kanyang kaanank lalong lalo na po hindi po kasalanan ng bata na siya ay ipanganak sa kahirapan,” National Authority for Child Care Undersecretary Janella Estrada said.
(No child should be separated from their parents and family. It is the right of every child to be loved and grow with their family, especially since it is not their fault they were born poor.)
In June, the NACC said Facebook groups selling babies online were cut down to five from 23.
NACC Domestic Administrative Adoption Division chief Imelda Ronda said that 20 of the groups that they identified either deactivated their accounts or were shut down by authorities. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/VBL, GMA Integrated News
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