Woman who stole baby: I did it to save my relationship with bf

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The woman suspected of running off with a baby she has taken from a hospital in Cebu City admitted to the crime on Wednesday (January 6) after she was arrested the night before and said she only did it so that her boyfriend would not break up with her.

Speaking in her native dialect, 26-year-old Melissa Londres told investigators and reporters that she was sorry for what she did.

"Mangayo ko ug sorry sa ilaha, wala gyud ko'y intention nga makapadaot sa ubang tao.. labi na sa bata," Londres said while sobbing.

(Translation: "I beg for their forgiveness. I really do not have intentions to hurt anyone, much more the baby.")

She said she was desperate because having a baby was the only way to save her relationship with her boyfriend.

But she added that she never claimed that the newly-born infant was her own and that she gave birth inside a taxi cab.

Londres was seen on a CCTV footage last Monday wearing a nurse's uniform while carrying the infant in the hallway of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC).

Facing possible kidnapping charges

But saying sorry will not be enough to keep her out of jail.

Senior Insp. Delfin Bontuyan of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG-7) said investigators were readying kidnapping complaints against Londres.

Bontuyan said Londres' boyfriend, a certain Philip Almerilla, would also be included in the rap sheet as a co-accused because he was also with her during the arrest. However, it would be up to the prosecutor to evaluate whether Philip should also be put behind bars.

Led to believe baby was their own

Almerilla said he stayed with Londres, believing at first that the baby was their own child. Londres' parents also thought the baby was their grandson and the family had already scheduled a church baptism.

Londres, a call center agent, said that she came up with the plan last Monday morning. She then went to a department store and bought herself a nurse suit.

Meanwhile, the baby was sent back to the VSMMC for medical exam while the real mother, 23-year-old Jayvee Celadenio, underwent a stress debriefing.

Cebu City-based correspondent Dale Israel contributed to this report.