Two women were arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation-International Airport Investigation Unit (NBI-IAIU) on Monday, September 10 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 for child trafficking.
The women were identified as seller April Rose Ramirez and Catherine Lagustan, the buyer of the 3-month old infant.
NBI Director Dante Gierran said the transaction was aborted when Lagustan saw that the baby had a cleft palate and refused to pay P30,000. He added that the biological mother, Sheila Marie Mandawe, is being hunted down by the police.
Lagustan was bargaining to pay Ramirez P3,500 when the baby started sobbing. The two were assisted by a random civilian, Rose Antiquina, to put the child at ease. Meanwhile, Ramirez went to the check-in counter to book a return flight.
When Ramirez failed to find Antiquina and Lagustan when she returned, she sought the help of the Airport Police Department (APD).
The APD investigated the incident. They doubted the women’s actions and story, and resulted in the discovery of the child trafficking. Lagustan and Ramirez are currently held at the NBI detention facility, reported the PhilStar.
