Court convicts mother, others for selling baby to pay off e-sabong debts —NBI

A Quezon City court has convicted a mother and three others for selling her then eight-month-old baby in 2022 to pay off her e-sabong debts, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said Wednesday.

In a statement, the NBI said that the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 86 found the four accused guilty beyond reasonable doubt of qualified trafficking in persons and sentenced them to life imprisonment.

The court also ordered each to pay a fine of P2 million.

“[T]he judgment rendered by the Regional Trial Court Branch 86 in Quezon City against all accused is a living testament of the resolute effort of the NBI to eradicate human trafficking in the country,” the NBI said.

NBI Director Jaime Santiago said the decision is a warning against individuals who are engaging in human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and other crimes against women and children.

According to the NBI, the mother of the child decided to sell her baby through a group because she needed money to settle her sabong debts.

She met with the buyer, who was later found out to be the middleman, in a fast food chain in the city on March 3.

However, after the transaction, the mother had a change of heart. She said she sent a message to the buyer pleading to return her baby.  She added she would return the money to the buyer.  However, the mother said the buyer had blocked her messages.

Following this, agents of the Human Trafficking Division (HTRAD) conducted an entrapment and rescue operation, which resulted in the arrest of one Filipina and one Nigerian national in Sta. Cruz, Laguna.

The NBI said the mother and the middleman were arrested in May 2022.—LDF, GMA Integrated News