Couple forgives baby’s kidnapper, drops case

COUPLE Jonathan and Jayvee Celadenia have chosen to forgive the self-confessed kidnapper of their baby Prince Niño.

They signed an affidavit of desistance indicating they will not pursue charges against call center agent Melissa Londres who, disguised as a nurse, took the baby from the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center last January 4.

The document was signed on Tuesday morning before State Prosecutor Raul Cristoria in his office at the regional state prosecutor’s office.

LONDRES

Jayvee, in a telephone interview, said they took pity on the suspect’s mother who visited them at her mother-in-law’s house in barangay Tungkop, Minglanilla last January 16-17 and begged for forgiveness.

“Naghilak siya (Melissa’s mother) ug nangayo ug pasaylo namo. Nihangyo sab siya nga di na mi magpadayon sa kiha kay ibalhin na sa Kalunasan iyang anak (She cried and asked for forgiveness.

She also asked us to withdraw the case because her daughter was going to be transferred to Kalunasan),” Jayvee told Cebu Daily News. Kalunasan is the site of the city and provincial jails.

“Napasaylo na man nako si Melissa. Naluoy gyud ko sa iyang Mama. Mao to nag-istorya mi sa akong bana ug nidesisyon ana (I have forgiven Melissa. I pity her mother so I and my husband came up with this decision),” she added.

She denied receiving P100,000 cash in exchange for the withdrawal of the charges. But she said the Londres family gave them an amount to cover their transportation expenses to and from the prosecutor’s office last Tuesday.

“Ug gitagaan pa mi, niuli nami sa amoa. Ipaayo na to namo ang among balay nga wala nay atop (Had we received money, we would’ve already gone home and had our roof repaired),” she said. The family has a house near the coast in barangay Calajoan, Minglanilla, but had to temporarily leave after strong winds blew off the roof last year.

Jayvee said they took into consideration the possible expenses that they will incur if they pursue the case.

Her husband Jonathan has not had any income since the incident because he has not been able to work. Jonathan has been taking care of his family and pursuing the case, until it was filed before the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office.

“Dala ra gyud to sa akong kalagot mao nga wala ko makapasaylo dayon. Naluoy sab ko sa iyang (Melissa) kahimtang. Napasaylo na nako siya (I was furious at what happened that’s why I didn’t forgive her at first. But I pity her),” Jayvee said.

Londres, 26, was arrested by authorities less than 36 hours after she stole the baby by telling the mother that he was going to get an anti-dengue shot at the VSMMC laboratory. Londres initially insisted the baby was hers, but later admitted that she took the baby in a bid to make her boyfriend stay.