Woman who took baby from Taguig hospital charged

MANILA, Philippines - The Taguig City Police has filed kidnapping charges against a woman who took a newborn baby boy from the Taguig-Pateros District Hospital (TPDH) last February 13 while pretending to be a social worker from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Suspect Maria Rosman Mañalac, 24, of Aguahan Dos, Bagumbayan, Taguig City, was arrested in her home last Saturday by police who also rescued the newborn.

Superintendent Celso Rodriguez, officer-in-charge of the Taguig City police, said they received information on Friday on the location of the suspect following the snatching of the newborn from the delivery room of the TPDH.

Rodriguez said that on the instruction of Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano, a plan was hatched to rescue the baby boy and arrest the suspect.

According to Rodriguez, Mañalac was captured by a hospital close circuit television (CCTV) camera as she fled the TPDH delivery room with the infant on the night of February 13.

Police said Manalac took the newborn from his mother after flashing a fake DSWD identification card. Police said Manalac told the mother that she is taking the infant for newborn screening.

“Nung pumasok kami sa bahay positive na nakita namin yung baby na natutulog at merong parehong edad at parehong gender ng batang nawawala. Pagkatapos ay positibong itinuro si Mañalac ng mga nurse at POSO (peace and order)  personnel na siya ang babaeng nakita nilang pumasok sa TPDH,” Rodriguez said.

Chief Inspector Benito Basilio, chief of the Taguig Police Criminal Investigation Division, added that Mañalac confessed during interrogation that she got pregnant last year but she had a miscarriage. Basilio said Manalac admitting snatching the newborn as a “replacement” for her son who died after birth.

Meanwhile, Mayor Cayetano lauded the Taguig Police for rescuing the newborn and arresting the suspect.

“With prompt action of our police officers, we were able to return the child to the rightful parents and arrest the person behind the case. Clearly crime does not pay,” she said.