Foetus found in restroom

2008-01-17 12:13

Manila - A janitor found a dead foetus in a restroom at the Philippine presidential palace on Thursday and police were looking for the mother, officials said.

Brigadier General Romeo Prestoza, head of the Presidential Security Group, said authorities were trying to track down a woman seen leaving the restroom at dawn. Access to the presidential palace is highly restricted, but hundreds of people work there.

Manila radio stations reported that officials were reviewing closed-circuit television footage in one of the buildings of the sprawling complex, called Malacanang palace, which houses President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's residence and offices.

"We are saddened by this incident, which is now being investigated," Arroyo spokesperson Ignacio Bunye said.

"We hold every human life sacred. We pray for the soul of this innocent child and hope that whoever was responsible for this realises the gravity of this deed and seeks atonement," he said.

Abortion is illegal in the Philippines, in line with the teachings of the dominant Roman Catholic church. Still, officials estimate about 400 000 abortions are performed each year.

- AP