DSWD to media: Don't turn Gulf Air baby's story into telenovela

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) appealed to media not to turn into a telenovela the story of the baby found abandoned in a trash bin of a Gulf Air plane on Sunday. Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman made the appeal as she said the DSWD needs at least a month to confirm if the overseas Filipino worker that government authorities have spoken to is indeed the baby's mother. "Ang pakiusap, huwag nating gawing telenobela. Di po ito real drama (Our request is that we not turn this thing into a telenovela. This is not real-life drama for TV)," she said at a press conference. "Pakiusap namin sa media, bigyan kami ng isang buwan. Aming ginagawa ang lahat na kailangang gawin para pangalagaan ang kapakanan at karapatan ng babae at ng baby at ng ibang partido (Our request to media is to give us one month. We are doing everything to ensure the welfare of the woman, the baby and all parties concerned)," she said.

Soliman said the DSWD has to perform a DNA test to confirm if the woman is the baby's mother. The agency also has to conduct a psychological intervention on the alleged mother. "Until the DNA test results are there which will confirm that the mother indeed is the woman in the custody of DSWD now... bigyan ninyo kami ng isang buwan (Until the DNA test results are there to confirm the mother is indeed the woman in our custody, give us a month)," she said. "Matapos ang isang buwan, kami ay magre-report sa madla, through the media, kung ano ang nangyari. ... (Sa ngayon) bigyan natin ng espasyo (After one month, we will give the media an update on this but for now, let us give them some space)," she added. She noted at least one television network had already tried to talk to the woman claiming to be the mother of the baby, temporarily named "George Francis." Soliman said the woman and the baby have not seen each other yet as the results of tests conducted, have not yet been released, radio dzBB's Allan Gatus reported on Friday. Baby "George Francis" was found in the trash bin of a Gulf Air plane that arrived in Manila before noon on Sunday. He was given the temporary name after the call letters of the Gulf Air flight where he was born. The National Bureau of Investigation tracked down the mother in Northern Luzon and brought her to Manila earlier this week. –VVP, GMANews.TV