Brigada Blogs: Hadji Rieta reports on ‘Babies for Sale’

Viewers of the GMA News TV news magazine show “Brigada” were appalled when they watched reporter Hadji Rieta’s shocking report about about the illegal trade of babies the Philippines. Hadji interviewed “Sarah,” a woman who helps broker deals between women with unwanted children and interested buyers. She claims that she also sold her babies before–her first child for Php 5,000 and the second for Php 20,000. Pregnant again, she told Rieta that she was even preparing to sell her baby for the third time.  This time, she’s going for Php 25,000. When asked if she feels guilty for selling her children, Sarah said there are times when she questions her decision. “Kapag may pera naman akong kaunti naiisip ko rin ‘yung mga anak ko, kung bakit ko binenta,” she said. Some “Brigada” viewers questioned the conscience and sanity of the mothers selling their babies, and some questioned the government’s policy on adoption. Many were shocked that many babies are bought and sold just outside hospitals. Hadji Rieta spoke with GMA News Online about covering this controversial story. GMA News Online (GNO): When 'Babies for sale' aired, we received a lot of feedback via Brigada's Twitter account. How does it feel to have people react to a story you worked hard for? Hadji Rieta (HR): Honestly, it was an overwhelming response from the viewers. I didn't expect that they would react like that, although I knew that the story was something big. I am so thankful, and it feels great that the story was able to touch their hearts, somehow. It feels like our sleepless nights, almost three nights of editing and shooting, worked and it's something that I am so thankful for. GNO: What was it exactly that pushed you to do this story and how did you come across the idea? HR: It wasn't my idea, my segment producer (Bryan Brazil) and the team gave this assignment to me. They first asked me if I have time to shoot for “Brigada,” and I said yes. They then briefed me about the story. I was amazed, because it felt like I'll be doing an “I-Witness” or “Reporter's Notebook” kind of story. Since college, I've always wanted to do documentaries. So I thought that this is something big for me this year. I wanted the story because I know that this is not just a small issue. It's a huge and sensitive issue, so to speak. As we all know, some documentary shows have done this kind of story before, so when I accepted it, I told myself that there should be something new about this story. There has to be a new element. I also like stories that have something to do with children. I like to do documentaries that tackle issues on child labor, education, poverty and ethnic groups. So it wasn't that hard for me to accept this story. It wasn't really hard for the production team of “Brigada” to get me to say “yes” to this. GNO: How did you prepare for the story considering it's a sensitive topic? HR: I browsed the Internet. I even asked a friend who's a lawyer on how suspects are treated if they are caught doing this illegal trade. My team also gave me a background on the recent cases on this issue. So it wasn't just me who prepared for this. It was really a team effort. I also watched documentaries, and I found out that this illegal trade of babies is not only happening in the Philippines. It is also rampant in Brazil, Cambodia and Indonesia. They have the same reason for this trade: poverty. I think that for a sensitive topic like this, being aware and then getting to know the elements needed is a must so you can get the heart of the story. You cannot just say that all hospitals are doing this, unless you prove it.  You really have to study and do a lot of research. GNO: Are there any stories that didn't make it to the episode that you would like to share? HR: As far as I know, all of the elements we wanted were there. I think all of the surveillance footage was included in the episode. The surveillance part is very crucial. We had to wait for hours just to get our subjects. In fact, the scene with the baby, it took us about five to six hours before we were able to shoot it. Our contacts had a problem at the location where we were supposed to meet. Some declined our offer, but in the end, it all worked out fine. But the thing is, while we were doing the recording, we felt so bad and upset. The mother of the baby is literally selling her baby to our asset, but of course we cannot just blame her for doing it. GNO: How difficult was it to get the mothers you interviewed to admit that they sold their children? HR: It was hard. Some of them do not completely trust the team. Some of the people involved in the illegal trade had a hunch that they will be recorded during the transaction, so we really had to pretend that we were customers. At one point we asked two talents to pretend to be a couple that wants to have a baby. That was how challenging it was to document the practice. When I interviewed a woman who has already sold three of her children, I asked her why she's selling her kids. I also asked if her if her conscience doesn't bother her at the end of the day. It was a difficult question and I knew she was uneasy. But I had to ask. GNO: What did you want people to learn from your report? Is there a particular segment of society you wanted to reach with this documentary? HR: I hope our government officials were able to watch the episode as well, so that they could do something about this. They should do something about this. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) should be alarmed too, because some of the mothers who are selling their babies are minors. I want the people to know that this really exists, that this illegal trade of babies is really happening, and what's alarming is that most of the transactions happen in front of hospitals. Watch "Brigada" every Monday, 8 PM on GMA News TV-11. - Mia Enriquez, PF/GMA News Follow Brigada on Facebook and Twitter.