The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has rescued the eight-month-old baby girl who was “sold” for Php45,000 by her own mother in Laguna to settle her debt due to online sabong (cockfighting).
Live-in partners Imelda Maligiran and Ifeanyi Okoro a.k.a. “Maxwell Bright”, a Nigerian national, were arrested, as per a GMA News report.
The NBI said they coordinated with various agencies and Facebook, which enabled them to track down and arrest the couple involved in the illegal transaction.
The bureau vowed to pursue the transaction’s middleman.
The father of the baby said that his baby was rescued in Laguna after receiving a tip-off.
The baby is now under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The DSWD also assured the father that they will return to him the baby.
The suspects might face charges for violating Republic Act 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.
