8-month-old baby girl rescued from being sold

CABADBARAN, Agusan del Norte, Philippines — Police on Wednesday rescued an eight-month-old baby girl after her 16-year-old mother tried to sell her to a local trader.

Cabadbaran police headed by women and children welfare desk officers SPO1 Tejanne Zarsozo, PO2 Marilou Mallari and SPO1 Delfin Mission told The STAR they responded to a report that an ongoing deal concerning an eight-month-old baby girl is being sold by her mother to local trader Rakma Amerol, 48, resident of Purok 1, Barangay 8 this capital town of Agusan del Norte. When the cops arrived at Amerol’s residence, the mother was already gone, police report showed. Initial police investigation revealed, dire poverty plus the fact that the mother is a minor and jobless forced her to sell her eight-month-old daughter to the trader.

Responding police team successfully rescued the child and turned her over to social welfare staff Josie Lelis Demoral. — Ben Serrano