Mother convicted for selling baby for P45,000 to pay 'e-sabong' debt
A mother and three others were convicted of human trafficking and sentenced to life imprisonment for selling her eight-month-old baby.
The Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 86 handed down the guilty verdict against a mother and three others, citing violations under Section 4(k) in relation to Section 6(a) of Republic Act 9208, also known as the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003.
In a press release, the National Bureau of Investigation stated that the mother of the infant was driven by the mounting debts incurred from online sabong to sell her child to an individual encountered on the Facebook group "Bahay Ampunar".
The transaction occurred on March 3, 2022, at a fast-food restaurant in Quezon City. The mother met with the individual, later identified as a middleman, and exchanged the baby for P45,000.
The Human Trafficking Division (HTRAD) successfully intervened in the attempted sale of the infant through an entrapment and rescue operation.
One Filipina and one Nigerian national were arrested in Sta. Cruz, Laguna during the operation. Subsequently, the baby's mother and the middleman were apprehended in May 2022 based on an arrest warrant.
All four were charged with kidnapping, child abuse, and human trafficking.
The acting presiding judge of QC RTC Branch 86 sentenced them to life imprisonment and a P2 million fine each.
Retired Judge Jaime B. Santiago stated that the court's decision sends a strong message to those involved in human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and other crimes against women and children.
