A former overseas Filipino worker (OFW) has been arrested after allegedly taking a newborn baby from a hospital in Mabalacat City, Philippines.
According to GMA News, the woman was captured on video leaving the hospital on August 17 while carrying an eco-friendly shopping bag, which was later discovered to contain the newborn.
Authorities investigating the case traced the suspect to Magalang, Pampanga, where they managed to locate her and rescue the baby.
The newborn was subsequently reunited with the family after being recovered by authorities.
Initial police investigations found that the baby’s parents were asleep when the woman allegedly took advantage of the situation and removed the infant without permission.
A witness reportedly saw the suspect taking the baby but assumed that she was a relative of the child’s parents.
The infant was believed to have been wrapped in cloth before being placed inside the eco-bag and carried out of the hospital.
Mabalacat Police Station chief Police Lt. Col. Jose Charlmar Gundaya said the suspect had earlier visited the baby’s room and spoke with the family, behaving as though she was related to them.
Police later found that the woman was a former OFW who had previously lost a child.
Gundaya said the suspect may have been experiencing postpartum depression following the loss and appeared to have wanted to replace the child she had lost, according to GMA News.
Authorities successfully recovered the baby from the suspect and returned the infant to the family.
The woman is now facing legal action, while her husband is also being investigated to determine whether he had any involvement in the incident.
Authorities are also examining whether weaknesses in the hospital’s security procedures allowed the newborn to be removed from the premises without being detected.
The case has raised concerns over newborn security in hospitals, particularly the need for tighter controls to ensure infants cannot be removed without proper authorisation.
