A mother was arrested for selling her 9-month-old baby girl to pay gambling debts of online cockfighting.
A kidnapping complaint was filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) due to the incident, local media reports said.
Four persons including a Nigerian national are reportedly involved in the sale due to the mom’s debts acquired during her “e-sabong” or online cockfighting sessions, reported Manila Bulletin.
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The respondents were reportedly identified as Nigerian national Ifeanyi Okoro a.k.a. “Maxwell Bright” and Filipino women Imelda Malibiran, Kristine Joyce Esdrelon, and Rosemarie Gutierrez.
The complaint was filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). The baby girl was rescued Tuesday, March 22, in Calamba City, Laguna.
Okoro and Malibiran were arrested while Esdrelon and Gutierrez remain at large.
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Charges of kidnapping in violation of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) and others laws were pressed in the case.
The 22-year-old mother of the baby had contacted NBI admitting that she sold her baby for Php 45,000 and was repentant about the action. The woman hopes that the baby would be returned to her.
