Woman pawns baby to pay debt in e-sabong

MANILA, Philippines — A mother from Pasig City who pawned her eight-month-old daughter for cash to pay for a debt that she incurred in e-sabong or online cockfight may face criminal charges for involving a child in an illegal transaction, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said yesterday.

The woman, who resides in Barangay Pinagbuhatan, went viral on social media after she pleaded for help during an interview with Pasig News Today to recover her child whom she pawned for P45,000 to pay her gambling debt.

The 22-year-old mother said she turned over her daughter to the creditor during a meeting in Quezon City last week.

She said she was asked to sign documents, but was not given a copy.

Upon returning home, she changed her mind about pawning her baby. The woman then messaged the lender that she would return the money to get her daughter back. But she was blocked on Facebook messenger.

Col. Joy Tomboc, spokeswoman for the PNP Women and Children Protection Center (WCPC), said they would offer assistance to help the woman recover her daughter.

Tomboc, however, said the mother and the creditor may face charges of child abuse and human trafficking.

“Based on our initial assessment, the mother who sold her child and the person who bought the baby violated the rights of the child under Republic Act 7610 or the Anti-Child Abuse Law,” Tomboc said in an interview on Teleradyo.

“The elements of child trafficking here are present,” she added.

They could also face complaints for violating RA 8552 or the law on adoption since they signed documents for the exchange, Tomboc said.

Police said they have assembled a team of officers to look into the case in Pasig City and other large-scale online adoption schemes.