A lifeless seven-month-old fetus was found in a garbage bin inside a restroom of a passenger vessel which plies the Cordova, Cebu-Getafe, Bohol route on Monday.

According to Master Sergeant Gerryper Cajes of the Getafe Police Station, the male fetus was discovered at around 8 a.m. while the M/V Sunriser was docked at the Getafe port.

“Didto nakit-an sa basurahan sa Sunriser na ferry boat gikan sa Cordova. Diha na sa Getafe na nahibaw-an samtang nanghinlo na tong crew nila,” Cajes said.

A physician from the Municipal Health Office who was deployed to the scene indicated that it was a case of stillbirth and not abortion.

“Suma sa giingon sa doctor kadto kunong cause intrauterine fetal death. Pag-anak niya patay na daan, patay na pag-anak kay wa may sign sa abortion. Gilabay lang siguro niya [mother], nauwaw kay daghan og taw,” he said.

Meanwhile, authorities identified the mother of the fetus as Marites Torregosa, 30, of Barangay Overland in Buenavista.

Corporal Maryjean Bebiro of the Getafe police Women’s and Children’s Protection Desk said that Torregosa’s mother, Adelina, claimed the fetus a few hours after it was discovered.

According to Bebiro, Marites, a house help in Lapu-Lapu City, experienced bleeding a week before she had the stillbirth and was scheduled for prenatal care in Buenavista which was the reason for her travel to Getafe.

“While nag-travel na daw yung Sunriser, nangihi kuno to siya nagsige na siya’g dugo nagtext pa siya sa iyahang bana na magpasugat kay nagdugo kuno siya. Pagpangihi sa CR ning gawas kuno ang bata sa inidoro,” Bebiro said.

“Sa iyang kahadlok na napatay na ang bata sa paggawas sa iyaha, iyang gikuha sa inidoro⁠—wa na siguro siya kahibaw sa iyang gibuhat, narattle na siya⁠—iyang gisud sa [basurahan]. Mikalit ra kuno og gawas [fetus] mao tong gibilin niya,” she added.

No charges will be filed against Marites.

“Ang issue ra agto is kadtong sanitation ra. Kung mo-reklamo ang Sunriser sa sanitation na pero wala ra may plano mo kaso,” she said. “Sa karattle lang g’yud to sa inahan wa na siya kahibaw unsa iyang nabuhat.” (A. Doydora)