DOJ files rap case against broker, mother who sold her baby

By: Dona Z. Pazzibugan – 2 minutes ago

MANILA, Philippines — A woman selling her 8-day-old baby and a government employee who acted as her middleman have been charged in court with charges of aggravated trafficking and exploitation of children.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Monday that the baby's mother, 29-year-old Ma. Chariza Dizon and her broker, Arjay Malabanan, were indicted in the Manila Regional Trial Court. Both men face life in prison if convicted of qualifying trafficking under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 (Republic Act No. 9208), as amended by RA 10364.

READ: 2 people arrested as police thwart sale of baby on FB

In a resolution dated May 17, Assistant Prosecutor Olivia Laroza-Torevillas and Assistant Prosecutor Claire Pagayanan of the Justice Department's Human Trafficking Task Force recommended no bail for the trafficking charge. . But for the child exploitation charge, they recommended a bail of P80,000.

DOJ prosecutors said evidence provided by the Philippine National Police's Women and Children Protection Center was “undisputed” and “sufficiently established” the crime of trafficking in newborns.

Dizon and Malabanan were arrested during a police entrapment operation on May 15 in Dasmariñas Town, Cavite.

According to the DOJ, the PNP acted at the request of the National Child Protection Authority in February to investigate the “proliferation” of illegal adoptions and child trafficking via Facebook.

Trapping set

A police officer pretended to want to adopt a child and wrote on her Facebook account: “I'm hoping for a blessing…baby,” which prompted several offers.

The agent allegedly received a message on February 29 from an account named Kuy's Jay, which later turned out to be Malabanan, offering to sell a newborn baby for P90,000, not including his commission.

On May 13, Malabanan allegedly made several follow-up calls to the agent, including a video call during which he showed his identification card as a computer operator for the local government of Dasmariñas City.

On May 15, the police officer and a companion who claimed to be his spouse met Malabanan and Dizon, who had brought her baby, to a church in the town of Dasmariñas, where the two were arrested.