NBI rescues baby sold by mother to pay off debt
MANILA, Philippines — An 8-month-old baby girl was rescued by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Laguna after being sold by her mother to pay off her debt.
The baby’s father said his daughter was rescued by NBI operatives in Laguna on Tuesday after they received information that the child was in Calamba City.
“Pinuntahan na po namin tapos nakita po namin ‘yung bahay. Tapos sinundan po namin. Sinundan po namin ‘yung sasakyan. Sinundan po namin ‘yung sasakyan na ‘yun kasi lumabas po sa bahay,” he narrated in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo on Wednesday.
(We went there and we saw the house. We tailed the vehicle that left the house.)
“Lumabas po sa bahay ng kumuha sa anak ko, sinundan po namin hanggang sa makapunta po kami ng Sta. Cruz, Laguna. Bumaba po ‘yung babae na parang bibili po ata ng prutas tapos ginawa po namin, kinorner na po namin tapos ‘yun po nahuli po namin, nandun po ‘yung anak ko,” he added.
(We followed the vehicle that left the house of those who took my child until we reached Sta. Cruz, Laguna. We cornered the woman when he alighted the vehicle to buy fruits, then we saw my daughter.)
The baby is currently in the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, according to her father.
He said the DSWD has promised to later return the baby to him.
Earlier reports said that the baby’s mother pleaded for help to recover her daughter after she regretted having sold the baby for P45,000 to pay off her e-sabong (online cockfighting) debt.
But in her Teleradyo interview, she said her debt was not because of e-sabong and that she only owes P10,000.
“Nagkautang po ako pero hindi naman po dahil sa e-sabong (I had a debt but it was not due to e-sabong),” she said.
However, she admitted to having participated in online cockfighting.
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