Photo courtesy of the Manila Police District
A female fetus, estimated to be six to eight months old, was found inside a box labeled for clothes donations at Malate Church in Manila.
An initial Manila Police District (MPD) report said a security aide discovered the fetus at around 6:45 a.m. on Saturday, August 22, inside the church on M.H. Del Pilar Street.
The fetus, which still had its umbilical cord attached, was reportedly wrapped in a blood-stained bedsheet and covered with clothes intended for donation. It was found inside a used milk supplement box bearing the marking “Clothes Donation Malate Church.”
Police said the box had been delivered to the church at around 9:40 p.m. on Friday, August 21, by a woman who identified herself as a Lalamove rider.
According to the witness, the woman showed a booking receipt and said the box came from a certain “Mam Cora” and was intended for the parish priest of Malate Church.
The fetus was discovered the following morning, prompting the witness to seek assistance from personnel of the Remedios Police Community Precinct.
Responding officers secured and cordoned off the area and preserved the scene for investigation and documentation.
The MPD Homicide Section was subsequently notified and took over the investigation.
Police said the fetus was later brought to J. Roa Funeral for safekeeping.
The MPD Homicide Section is investigating the circumstances surrounding the discovery, including the identity of the person who delivered the box and the individual identified as “Mam Cora.”