A 36-year-old woman who abducted a three-month-old infant confessed that she committed the crime so that her partner wouldn't break up with her.
This was revealed by Rhealyn (name withheld) after she was arrested by the police through intel operatives and the Women and Children's Protection Desk (WCPD) at the Tugbok Police Station in Mintal Relocation, Barangay Sto. Niño, Tugbok District, Davao City on Friday, October 13.
“Hindi ko gustong hiwalayan ng mister ko, kaya nagawa ko yun (I don’t want my husband to leave me, that is why I did that [abduction]),” Rhealyn said.
She added that she committed the act after losing her youngest child.
“Nawawala kasi ang baby ko na mag-two… two months ngayong 22, ang kaibigan ko po ang dahilan nung nawala ang baby ko, kaya doon muna ako nag-stay sa bahay ng kaibigan ko sa Buhangin (My baby who is going to be two months old this 22 is missing. My friend is the reason why my baby is gone. That is why I am staying in my friend’s house in Buhangin),” she said.
On Thursday, October 12, Rhealyn went to the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), where she met and talked with a mother who was carrying a three-month-old baby.
Based on the investigation conducted by the Bajada Police Station, the infant, who is a male, is the son of a 26-year-old barangay health worker from Surigao City.
The baby's mother said that she was approached by Rhealyn, who at that time was wearing a yellow T-shirt. She added that Rhealyn asked her for milk because she also had a two-month-old baby.
Rhealyn, according to the victim, tried to go out immediately because her husband allegedly called her. The victim told her "ayaw lang kay dali ra ni (Don’t go yet, as this won't take too long)."
But when the victim looked back, Rhealyn had already disappeared no matter where she looked for her around the vicinity at 4:35 p.m. on Thursday.
With the help of the Bajada Police Station, who posted the incident on their Facebook page, a concerned citizen gave information that the abducted infant was spotted at Mintal Relocation.
Through the coordination of the Bajada and Tugbok Police offices, the infant was rescued and immediately taken to the Holy Spirit Community Hospital in Mintal.
The infant was suffering from an undisclosed disease when he was taken away from his mother.
According to Bajada Police Station commander PMaj. Antonio Luy the suspect may be facing charges of kidnapping or illegal detention.
“Giplastar pa nato ang posible nga kaso nga ipasaka nato sa suspek, kidnapping ba or illegal detention (We are arranging the possible case against the suspect, whether it is kidnapping or illegal detention),” Luy said.
The suspect's live-in partner alias Rico was also arrested.
“Giapil nato ang iyang live-in partner, imbestigahan nato’g apil. So far case-closed na kini nga kaso (We also included her live-in partner, we will investigate him as well. So far, this is a case-closed),” Luy said.
Many of Rhealyn’s neighbors suspected that her friend may have sold her baby, that is why she was forced to take another baby of the same age so that Rico would not be angry and leave her.
“Hindi muna ako magsalita sa baby ko basta nawala yun ng kaibigan ko, kaya ito ang nagawa ko para hindi magalit ang asawa ko at para hindi niya ako hiwalayan (I won’t talk more about my baby yet, just that my friend lost my baby. That is why I committed such act so that my husband will not be angry with me and leave me),” the suspect said.
Meanwhile, as for Rico, he said he was surprised because it was not their son and this made him suspicious of what had happened.
“Wala ko kabalo ana, natingala nalang ko nga pag-abot niya diri kay didto man ni siya nag-stay sa iyang amiga sa Buhangin, lahi naman nga bata ang dala, natingala pod ko nganong dili siya mouli diri sa Relocation (I don’t know about that, I was surprised because when she arrived here, since she was staying at her friend in Buhangin, she was already carrying a different baby. I was also wondering why she didn’t want to go back here in Relocation),” Rico said.
Rhealyn admitted to committing such an act, but she said she was planning to return the baby when her son has been already found.
“Nakokonsensya po ako, kausapin ko po ang nanay ng bata, isusuli ko naman po sana ang bata kung makita na po ang anak ko (I am bothered by my conscience. I want to talk to the mother of the baby, I was planning to return her baby once I have found my son),” she said.
In the meantime, the suspects are now in the custody of the Bajada Police Station while the mother and her baby are in the Holy Spirit Community Hospital where the baby underwent treatment procedures.
On the part of SPMC, the hospital's chief Dr. Ricardo Audan told SunStar Davao in an online interview that the hospital was no longer responsible for what had happened since the baby was an out-patient having their checkup due to an illness.
Audan added that the suspect was caught on closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera, especially when she was carrying the child, which is why the authorities tracked her down and arrested her. JPC with reports from Ralph Llemit