A mother in Quezon City was arrested after allegedly selling her five minor children to foreigners in exchange for money. Authorities rescued the children in an operation on September 18.
According to the investigation, the suspect was receiving payment from a foreign man in exchange for live online abuse of his 12-year-old daughter. Surveillance showed that the mother was offering her children for online sexual exploitation.
The rescue operation was conducted with the help of the police, social welfare office and Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking. The suspect was caught after he directly offered the children to a person posing as a client.
Authorities also recovered evidence of online child sexual exploitation from the suspect's house. The mother will face a case of qualified trafficking in persons under RA 9208 as amended by RA 10364.
The children are currently in the custody of the social welfare office while the investigation continues. The suspect could face life imprisonment and a fine ranging from ₱2 million to ₱5 million.
