IN a bid to address child trafficking in the country, President Duterte will review a proposal to craft an executive order creating an Anti-Child Trafficking Office.
According to Presidential Spokesman and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador S. Panelo, the proposal for the President to issue an executive order was made by Special Envoy of the President to United Nations Children’s Fund Monica Prieto-Teodoro.
Incidentally, this came after the foiled attempt of a departing American woman to smuggle a week old baby out of the country.
However, Panelo clarified that the decision of the President during Wednesday night’s Cabinet meeting to review the proposal was not a result of the said incident.
“Nope, that’s incidental. That’s a response to many incidents of illegal trafficking of children,” he said in a text message shared to reporters.
Authorities arrested Jennifer Erin Talbot, 42, after the airline staff asked her about the child’s passport but she was unable to present any documents.
Immigration supervisor Allan Canonizado reported to Grifton Medina, head of Ninoy Aquino International Port Operation Division, that Talbot arrived at Naia Terminal 3 before 6 a.m. for her 8:10 a.m. flight to Japan onboard Delta Air flight 180.
Talbot presented her passport to the immigration officer, while the baby boy born August 29, 2019, was kept hidden inside her hand luggage.
Prior to reaching the
final x-ray machines, Talbot brought out the baby from the luggage and went
through the body search, while her luggage underwent
x-ray scanning.
She then immediately proceeded to the predeparture area to wait for the announcement of her flight’s departure.
Afterward, an airline staff approached her and asked for their passports and boarding passes. Apparently, the airline staff saw Talbot carrying a baby, whom she covered with her sweater, but the baby’s exposed feet may have foiled the plan.
Image credits: Robinson Ninal Jr./ Malacanang Presidential Photographers Division via AP