MEDINA, Misamis Oriental — Police are continuing their investigation to identify who abandoned a newborn baby girl at the town public cemetery in Barangay North Poblacion on Oct. 17.
Medina police chief Capt. Teddy V. Macarayo said investigators have yet to identify the person responsible. The infant was found in the cemetery, where victims of COVID-19 were buried.
Medina Municipal Police Station personnel rescued the baby and brought her to a hospital for medical evaluation, according to a police statement.
The infant is now under the care of the Municipal Social Welfare and Development office for protection and appropriate assistance.
Macarayo commended the responding police personnel and community members who reported the incident. He also said the municipal government is offering a cash reward for information that could help identify the person responsible.
Medina Councilor Arthur Cahoy, chairperson of the Sangguniang Bayan Committee on Social Services and Senior Citizens, condemned the abandonment and called for the infant’s welfare to be prioritized.
Cahoy said anyone interested in adopting the baby must follow the proper legal process. If no prospective adopter comes forward, he stressed the need for continued monitoring and adequate care.
Police provincial director Col. Al M. Abanales also urged people struggling to care for a child to seek help from relatives, local social welfare offices or other concerned authorities rather than abandon the child.
Police said they would continue coordinating with concerned agencies to protect the infant while the investigation is ongoing.
