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CEBU CITY — A newborn baby now costs P30,000, just enough to buy a new phone.
This grim reality unfolded in Cebu City when a child casually told neighbors their family could now afford a phone because their mother had sold their baby sibling. What started as childish gossip proved to be true.
Authorities later confirmed that a 22-day-old infant had been sold by her mother, allegedly to buy a cellphone.
Catalina Abella, the focal person for Gender and Development (GAD) at Cebu City Social Welfare and Services (CSWS), said on Tuesday, March 18, that the disturbing revelation reached them through a concerned citizen who overheard the child's statement.
An investigation led Abella and Mambaling Police Station 11 personnel to the family's home in Barangay Duljo Fatima, and the mother admitted to selling her baby and revealed that a middleman had facilitated the transaction.
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The investigation further revealed that the mother had previously sold her seventh child as well.
In this recent case, she allegedly sold her infant to a buyer who was reportedly a nurse, while the buyer's husband is a member of the military.
The transaction, which reportedly took place at the hospital, started with an asking price of P57,000 but eventually settled at P30,000.
Neighbor Gretchen Bucol recalled that the mother had previously claimed her seventh child was in Bohol with a sibling because the baby was born prematurely.
The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) disclosed that the mother and her live-in partner, who is the father of the children, had previously been detained for illegal gambling.
Charges of trafficking in persons have been filed against the mother, the middleman, and other parties involved.
The rescued infant is now in the care of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 7, while the couple's remaining children are being cared for by relatives under the supervision of the City Social Welfare and Services.
In response to the case, Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia has signed the creation of the Inter-Agency Council Against Online and Sexual Exploitation to strengthen efforts in protecting children from abuse.
The Cebu City government has also ordered strict monitoring of possible similar cases in Barangay Duljo Fatima.
