DSWD renews call to Facebook to remove sites that sell babies

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MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) urges Facebook to take down pages associated with illegally selling babies, it said in a statement on Tuesday.

The call was renewed after the arrest of a mother who tried to sell her eight-day-old baby using the FB social media platform.

READ: 2 arrested as police foil baby’s sale on FB

According to Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian, its National Authority for Child Care (NACC) has already sent a letter to Facebook last year calling for it to take down the said pages. Still, it remains unanswered as of posting time.

“That’s why we called for this presscon because, maybe through the media, ay makalampag ang Facebook na yung unregulated freedom sa Facebook should come with responsibilities na obviously, may mga bagay na klarong- klarong mali,” said Gatchalian in a press conference on Monday.

(That’s why we called for this press conference because, maybe through the media, we can urge Facebook that the unregulated freedom on Facebook should come with responsibilities, as there are obviously things that are clearly wrong.)

READ: Review of child adoption process sought to curb trafficking of infants

He pointed out that social media is a powerful tool, “but it can also be a very cruel tool, especially when it is being used for human trafficking, which is a cruel act. It’s cruel and abusive.”

“So dito siguro, ang panawagan namin sa publiko is help us report kung may nakita kayo. But at the same time, we will continue engaging Facebook. So that we can regulate to some degree the utilization of their platform,” Gatchalian added.

(So here, perhaps, our call to the public is to help us report if you see anything. But at the same time, we will continue engaging with Facebook so that we can regulate to some degree the utilization of their platform.)

The DSWD reiterated that selling babies is illegal under Republic Act 9208, as amended by RA 10346 (as further amended by RA 11862), or the Anti-Trafficking in Person Act of 2023.

If found guilty, the penalty could be 12 years to lifetime imprisonment and a fine between P1 and 5 million.

Meanwhile, Undersecretary Janella Estrada, NACC executive director, said they are closely monitoring 20 to 40 Facebook pages engaging in baby and child trafficking.

“These FB pages are private accounts with thousands of followers. These social media sites are selling babies online in the guise of adoption and since February, we have been coordinating with the PNP to put a stop to this illegal activity,” she said in the press conference.