Police save infants, minors in multi-day trafficking bust
Cases were filed for violations of the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, the Anti-Child Abuse Law and the Cybercrime Prevention Act.
THE Philippine National Police rescued four infants and two minors from traffickers and abusers across Luzon and Mindanao from 2 to 4 February, arresting seven suspects in coordinated operations that underscore the PNP’s unwavering commitment to protecting children.
Photograph courtesy of PNP Women and Children Protection Center
In a series of coordinated operations from 2 to 4 February, the Philippine National Police (PNP) rescued four infants and two minor children from traffickers and abusers and arrested seven suspects in different parts of Luzon and Mindanao.
PNP chief P/Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. said the operations send a strong message to criminals who prey on children.
“Every child has the right to be protected. These operations prove that we will never stop in our duty to safeguard our children. With every criminal we arrest, we are making it clear that no one who harms our youth will get away,” Nartatez said.
The first rescue took place on 2 February in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, where personnel from the Luzon Field Unit, along with local police and social workers, carried out an entrapment operation at a fast food chain inside Star Mall. Two suspects were arrested, and a 12-day-old baby girl was rescued. Authorities filed cases under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act and the Anti-Child Abuse Law.
The following day, 3 February, another operation in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte led to the arrest of a male suspect and the rescue of two young boys — one allegedly being offered online and another identified as a child at risk. Investigators also discovered illegal child sexual abuse materials during a digital forensic examination, strengthening the case against the suspect.
On 4 February, police conducted two more rescue missions in Central Luzon.
In Angeles City, Pampanga, officers saved a two-day-old baby boy and arrested the suspect involved. Later that evening in Baliwag City, Bulacan, three more suspects were apprehended during another entrapment operation at a fast food chain, where a three-month-old baby girl was rescued.
Cases were filed for violations of the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, the Anti-Child Abuse Law and the Cybercrime Prevention Act.
Nartatez warned offenders that such crimes would not go unpunished.
“These acts are not only illegal — they are morally wrong and threaten the future of our nation. We are watching, we are ready, and we will act,” he said.
He also called on the public to stay vigilant and immediately report suspicious activities, saying community cooperation is key to protecting vulnerable children.