Baby ‘sold’ for P5T

CEBU, Philippines - Two live-in partners were arrested after they were found “selling” their five-month-old baby for P5,000.

Arthur Marzan, 40, and Carla Natilip, 38, of Barangay Gun-ob, Lapu-Lapu City were nabbed by police last Wednesday when a neighbor confirmed that the couple sold their baby to her.

Police investigation conducted by PO2 Michelle Pahantoy, Women's Desk officer of Hoops Dome Police Station, revealed that Natilip went to her neighbor named Alma Montillano last Tuesday and asked her to take care of the baby for a while, saying she would be out to look for money.

Natilip came back that night and told Montillano she couldn't afford to raise the baby. She then asked Montillano she's going to leave the baby to her which the latter agreed out of pity.

But before she left Montillano, Natilip asked her P5,000 and promised she would no longer take the baby back.

Montillano was surprised when Natilip was asking for money because it seemed to her that the baby was sold to her. She then told her to just come the following day as she didn't have the money yet, thus Natilip left.

The following day, Marzan sent Montillano a text message asking for the money in the amount of P5,000 as what she had promised Natilip. But since she was hesitant to give money and to raise the baby, she then consulted the police about the couple's action.

Montillano was later told that this was a case of human trafficking. She was then asked by PO2 Pahantoy the location of Natilip and Marzan, who were both arrested eventually.

The suspects denied they sold the baby and only asked their neighbor to take care of it. They  alleged they only borrowed money from Montillano.

Montillano, on the other hand, was willing to stand as witness, claiming that the baby was really sold to her, thus she executed an affidavit for the filing of a case.

A case of "expanded human trafficking" was filed against the partners last Friday at the Prosecutor's Office of Lapu-Lapu City Hall of Justice. 

The suspects are both temporarily detained at the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office detention cell waiting for the court's commitment order to Lapu-Lapu City Jail.

Marzan is a married man who lives in Cordova town, Cebu. Natilip was also married but was separated from her husband, leaving her with two children.