Woman, cohort nabbed for ‘selling’ five-day-old baby

By Jennifer P. Rendon

A 29-year-old woman and her cohort were arrested after she allegedly tried to sell her own child.

Edelyn Pendon and her neighbor, 53-year-old Ana Agustin, were nabbed in an entrapment operation 2:50 p.m. of Sept 20, 2022 at the latter’s house in Zone 6, Barangay Boulevard, Molo, Iloilo City.

Members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 6 (CIDG-6), together with the Iloilo City Police Station 4, the 602nd Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion, and the Iloilo City Welfare and Development Office, collared the suspects after an undercover operative offered to buy Pendon’s five-day-old infant.

Major Jess Baylon, CIDG-Iloilo City field unit chief, said Pendon sought Agustin’s aid to sell her child for P40,000.

The baby boy is Pendon’s sixth child.

The mother will get P25,000 while Agustin, being the middleman, will have a P15,000 share.

“Based on our investigation, it was not the first time that Agustin acted as a middleman in selling infants,” he said.

While still pregnant, Pendon has already asked Agustin’s help to dispose of her baby in exchange for money.

The two suspects are now detained and will be charged with violation of Republic Act 9208 or The Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003.