DOH calls for stricter security in hospitals following cases of newborn abduction

The Department of Health (DOH) called for the implementation of stricter security measures in hospitals following two recent cases of newborn abduction in Manila and Marikina City.

During a press conference at Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center (ARMMC) in Marikina on Tuesday, DOH said they are looking into implementing protocols similar to America’s Amber and Silver alerts.

The Amber alert or the “America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response” is a child abduction notification system that connects law enforcement with broadcast media, communication providers, and transportation agencies regarding recent cases of missing children.

Silver alerts operate similarly for missing elderly or cognitive-impaired individuals.

“We will be starting these protocols. Similar protocol, pag may batang nawala, pag may elderly nawala, acute patient,” he shared.

(We will be starting these protocols. Similar protocol, if there is a missing child, if there’s a missing elderly, acute patient.)

Herbosa noted that while these policies to locate missing individuals weren’t new, there were suspects taking advantage of more relaxed policies and security measures due to the skeletal workforce amid the holiday season.

“All babies have a tag, all patients have a tag. There is a system in place pero may masasamang tao talaga. Even in the US, mayroon silang amber alert kasi ninanakawan din sila ng bata,” he added.

(All babies have a tag, all patients have a tag. There is a system in place but there really are bad people. Even in the US, they have amber alert because their children get abducted too.)

“Because it’s the time of the year, [people] are physically present but mentally absent because of the holiday season… This is the time mangyayari ang salisi-salisi. We will heighten our measures in the protection,” he said.

(Because it’s the time of the year, [people] are physically present but mentally absent because of the holiday season… This is the time where imposter incidents occur. We will heighten our measures in the protection.)

Among the stricter protocols Herbosa is planning to implement are stricter entry and exit protocols in hospitals, along with stricter implementation of ID mandates.

“The rest of the hospitals, the private hospitals, the LGU hospitals… I'm hoping mag-increase din sila ng vigilance nila [against abductions],” he said.

(The rest of the hospitals, the private hospitals, the LGU hospitals… I'm hoping they will also increase their vigilance [against abductions].)

The move was annonced after a newborn baby was abducted from the ARMMC on December 26 at around 11 p.m.

Newborn abduction

According to Marikina Police, CCTV footage showed the female suspect wearing a scrub suit and approached mothers at the 4th floor while pretending to be a nurse.

“Siya po ay nagtanong sa mga ina kung sino pa po ang di nakakapag newborn screening sa mga sanggol at tatlo po ang nagtaas ng kamay,” shared Marikina Police Chief Police Colonel Jenny Tecson.

(She asked the mothers who else has not done their newborn screenings with their babies and three mothers raised their hands.)

“Yung dalawa po ay di binigay ang kanilang mga sanggol dahil wala po ang makakasama sa suspek, maliban sa 20 years old na babae po na naalimpungatan noong oras na yun kasi siya po ay nasa may bandang pintuan, kaya naibigay niya kaagad ang kaniyang sanggol doon sa ating suspek, na maging yung ibang mga record ng bata ay kaniya pong naibigay,” she added.

(The two did not give their babies because there was no one that could accompany the suspect, aside from a 20 year old woman that was woken up that time because she was near the door, so she immediately handed her child to the suspect along with the child’s other records.)

After acquiring the child, the suspect reportedly placed it in a bassinet and escaped through the emergency room.

She was later tracked to have rode a tricycle towards a nearby mall, and took another car to a hospital in Pasig City, where she was picked up by her boyfriend.

“Fortunately po, mayroong tatlong staff sa ospital na nakakwentuhan niya, and may isang staff na tinanggal niya ang facemask niya kaya siya nakilala, at yun po ang nakatulong sa atin,” she added.

(Fortunately, there were three hospital staff that she talked to, and another staff that talked to her with her facemask off so she was identified, and that was what helped us.)

On December 29, an attempted kidnapping was reported around midnight at Tondo Medical Center.

Tondo Medical Center Chief II Dr. Maria Isabelita Estrella shared that a nurse caught the suspect taking the baby from the mother for an alleged newborn screening while pretending to be medical staff.

“Hawak na po niya [ang bata]. Noong sinita [ng nurse], medyo nataranta yung babae, ibinalik [ang bata] sa nanay, at dali-daling umalis. Sa kabutihang palad po, nahuli yung mismong suspect at ngayon ay nasa custody na ng pulis,” said Estrella.

(She was already holding [the baby]. When [the nurse] noticed her, she got alarmed and returned [the baby] to the mother, and immediately tried to escape. The good thing is that the suspect was immediately caught and is now in police custody.)

Police shared that the suspect had recently suffered a miscarriage, which drove her to do the crime.

After confirming that the Tondo suspect was not the same as the one in Marikina, police conducted further backtracking and was able to locate the missing child and suspect at their home.

Tecson shared that the suspect admitted that she suffered a miscarriage and decided to steal a child in fear of disappointing her relatives, who she claimed were expecting her to bring home her child.

“Yung kaniyang kamag-anak, humihingi po ng pasensya dahil di po nila inakala na magagawa ng kanilang kamag-anak ang ganitong sitwasyon… Sinabi ng ating suspect na she wanted to reach out sa magulang ng baby, pero siya ay nagaalala kung pano niya sasabihin sa kaniyang mga kamag-anak,” she said.

(Her relatives are asking for forgiveness because they didn’t think their relative would be able to do this kind of situation… Our suspect said that she wanted to reach out to the parents of the baby but she was worried about what she would be telling her relatives.)

The suspect and her boyfriend will be facing charges for kidnapping and failure to return a minor.

While the two recent incidents of abduction had been closed and both were confirmed to have been isolated cases, Marikina Police and DOH noted that syndicated abductions do exist.

Meanwhile, Herbosa said that he has instructed the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) to look into the two incidents of abduction as cases of possible mental health issues. — BAP, GMA Integrated News