Child snatched at VSMMC

CEBU, Philippines - A two-day-old baby boy was abducted by unidentified woman who disguised herself as a worker at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center yesterday afternoon.

 The abduction of the infant was captured by a closed-circuit television camera but none of the security guards noticed the suspect as she went out of the hospital.

The baby, Prince Niño Celadenia, was born on Saturday morning to Jayvee Celadenia, 23, and Jonathan Celadenia, 27, of Barangay Calajoan, Minglanilla, Cebu.

Jonathan said a woman wearing mask and dressed in scrub suit approached them at around noon yesterday while they were at the child survival area of the hospital.

The woman acted like a nurse and brought the infant and the mother to the laboratory allegedly for anti-dengue vaccine of the baby. The mother said she relented even with some doubts in mind because the woman did not have her nameplate on believing that she was indeed a staff of the hospital.

Jayvee was told to wait outside the laboratory while the father was processing their discharge papers at the PhilHealth claims section of the hospital because the baby was supposed to be discharged yesterday.

Jayvee said she started to worry after 15 minutes because she did not anymore see the woman and her baby. She started to inquire from the laboratory personnel and found out that they have not attended to her baby.

The father immediately alerted the hospital officials and reported the incident to the Police Station 2.

 Police Officer 3 Henry Abatayo said that the CCTV footage shows that the abductor went out of the laboratory through a small door leading to the billing section and the cashier’s area before she exited to the trauma area, which is used as the exit gate of the hospital employees.

Abatayo said the mother did not notice the woman coming out of the laboratory because she talking to someone. The security footage also revealed that the woman was alone in committing the crime.

“Mura’g planado gyud niya kay gi-timing gyud niya nga mingaw. Ting-paniudto sa kasagaran sa mga tawo ba,” said Abatayo.

The police pointed out the serious breach in the security of the hospital.

“Kato pa lang daan nga wala’y nameplate, gisita na unta to nila. Katong gidala ang bata sa gawas, di baya na pwede,” said Abatayo.

VSMMC spokesperson Nonoy Mongaya said the woman, as shown in the CCTV footage, is not an employee of the hospital.

Mongaya said it was the first time a baby was abducted from the hospital.

Dr. Gerardo Aquino, Jr., VSMMC chief of hospital, appealed to those who have recognized the suspect to immediately inform the hospital and the police.

Aquino offered a cash reward for those who can help identify the suspect. He did not, however, say how much.

The hospital has already requested the National Bureau of Investigation to help in the investigation. — with Kristine B. Quintas/FPL (FREEMAN)