NBI recovers baby sold to pay for e-sabong debts

The National Bureau of Investigation recovered the eight-month-old baby who was sold by her mother to pay for e-sabong debts.

According to John Consulta’s Tuesday “24 Oras” report, agents of the NBI’s Anti-Human Trafficking Division located the child in Sta. Cruz, Laguna.

Arrested in the operation were live-in partners Imelda Maligiran and a Nigerian national identified as Maxwell Brine.

“Marami kaming techniques na in-employ at nakipag-coordinate kami sa various agencies. And also nakipagtulungan din sa amin ang Facebook,” Atty. Jannet Francisco, Chief of NBI-AHRTD, said.

(We employed several techniques to locate the baby. Various agencies and Facebook also cooperated with us.)

The NBI said they were still pursuing the transaction's middleman.

“You can run, but you cannot hide. Mahaba po ang kamay ng batas at asahan niyo hindi kayo pababayaan ng NBI. Hahabulin namin kayo. Kaya itigil niyo na yan,” NBI Director Eric Distor said.

(The law has a long arm and you can trust that the NBI won't forget about you. We will chase you down. You should quit while you're ahead.)

Aside from the suspects, the NBI said the mother would also face charges for selling her baby, particularly for violating Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.

The 22-year-old mother previously pleaded for help to recover her child whom she sold for P45,000 to pay her gambling debts. — Mel Matthew Doctor/DVM, GMA News