Kidnapped baby found through social media

Almost seven months after one of her twins was kidnapped in a Las Piñas hospital, Riza Garcia has been reunited with her missing daughter.

This after police operatives in Victoria town in Tarlac arrested Roselle Estrada-Garcia before dawn Sunday.

At Estrada-Garcia's house was Zianne, one of Garcia's twin daughters who was taken by a woman who pretended to be a social worker on Sept. 28, 2017.

Garcia was having a post-natal checkup at the Las Piñas District Hospital when she was approached by Estrada-Garcia, who introduced herself as Nathalie Damaso and offered Garcia to be enrolled in the agency's 4Ps program.

Garcia first approached GMA News on September 29 and creatad a separate Facebook account for Zianne.

She told GMA News that a tip from a concerned citizen led to the discovery of her missing daughter in Tarlac.

"Nag-send po sila ng [picture] ng suspek at ng baby. Positive po na kamukha ng baby. Bigla po akong kinabahan. Tapos iyong suspek nakilala ko kaagad," Garcia said.

Estrada-Garcia admitted pretending to be a social worker, but denies that she was part of a syndicate.

She confessed to Las Piñas police investigators that her decision to take Zianne was brought about by her own child's death, one hour after she gave birth to the baby in Sept. 25, 2017.

"Ipinalit ko lang ho siya sa anak kong namatay. Nanganak ho ako, tapos nabuhay po siya isang oras lang po," Estrada-Garcia said.

The suspect said she was afraid her husband would leave her if he found out her child had died.

She explained that her decision to pretend being a social worker was a spur-of-the-moment decision when she saw Zianne and her resemblance to her own dead daughter.

"Talagang balak ko lang tulungan siya kasi pumunta ako doon para magpa-check up kasi may dugo dugo pa ako. Ngayon 'di ko talaga intensyon na kunin ang bata. Ngayon nakita ko sila, kaliitliit ng bata, parang naano ko na iyong ang anak ko, ganon kalaki. Kaya naisip ko na lang na ibuhos ko na lang doon sa bata yung [pagmamahal], gusto ko makuha iyong bata," she said.

She also insisted that she took good care of baby Zianne while the child was under her care.

"Iyong bata, inalaagan ko naman, kahit alam kong mali. Humihingi rin ako ng sorry sa asawa ko, sa pamilya ng asawa ko, at sa pamilya ng bata," she said.

Garcia said she was thankful that the suspect took care of her child, but she said she rejects her apology and her explanation for taking Zianne.

"Ina rin siya, ang hirap mawalan ng anak. Sana 'di na lang niya ginawa iyon. Alam niya kasi 'yong pakiramdam na mawalan ng anak, bakit niya ginawa?" Garcia asked.

Garcia said she is also thankful to netizens who helped her find her child, but admitted that some comments about how she lost her child still sting her to this day.

"Nag-comment sila na bakit ko daw pinabayaan. Hindi ko naman ginusto... Wala sila sa katayuan ko," Garcia said.

Estrada-Garcia is facing a complaint of abduction of minor before the Las Piñas City Prosecutor's Office. —ALG, GMA News