The Women and Children Protection Center (WCPC) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday reported the arrest of a 17-year-old mother for allegedly selling her one-month-old child for P55,000.
According to WCPC chief Brig. Gen. Maria Sheila Portento, they found out through the teenager’s social media post that the baby is being offered online to a willing buyer. Police then arranged a meeting with the suspect last Tuesday at a fast-food restaurant in Quezon City, which led to her arrest.
“We found out from her mother that the teenager spent the money on her tuition. Her plan was to use the proceeds from selling her child to cover her tuition,” Portento was quoted saying at a media briefing in Tagalog.
Based on initial investigation, the young mother had a communication already with a foreigner in Japan, who was sending money to buy the child. The WCPC chief, meanwhile, did not specify how much the foreigner had already given to the suspect.
The infant and her mother, who was still a minor, were turned over to the city’s social services department. The suspect faces possible charges for human trafficking and violations of Republic Act No. 7610, or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act.
