Authorities reported that a newborn male baby was abandoned along Santol Road, at the corner of MacArthur Highway in Barangay Potrero, Malabon City, last Monday morning.

Police said that a witness — identified as Marlyn Amado, a female vendor — discovered the baby after a man approached her, saying that a baby was seen in a bag a few meters from her sidewalk stall.

Amado reported the abandoned baby to the local barangay, who forwarded the situation to Malabon City Police Sub-Station 1, under PLT Benedicto Zafra.

According to Police Captain Laline Almosa, chief of the Investigation Section of the Malabon City Police, the man who reported the incident to Amado was the one who left the baby on the sidewalk.

In a CCTV video, around 6 a.m., the man was seen carrying a red eco bag containing the baby. After a while, he placed the bag beside a white pickup truck before leaving the area.

The police said they are still conducting CCTV backtracking to determine where the man came from.

The baby, whose umbilical cord was still attached, was brought to San Lorenzo Ruiz General Hospital, where he is currently receiving medical care.

“Upon the initial check-up by the doctors, they didn’t discover anything unusual with the baby. Overall, he was okay,” Almosa said.

Once the man is arrested, the head of the Investigation Section said he will face charges related to Abandonment and Republic Act 7610, or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.