Quezon City, Philippines- The Department of Social Welfare and Development expressed concern over the rising cases of illegal adoption of newborn babies and children on social media platforms, particularly on Facebook, on Monday, May 20.
The issue was publicized after the successful entrapment operation happened on May 15 inside a church in Dasmariñas, Cavite, where the mother attempted to sell her 8-day-old baby along with a broker.
Based on the information disclosed at the press conference, the baby was trying to be sold for 50,000 pesos, but the broker demands 90,000 pesos from the adoptive parents.
“The mother selling her child for P50,000, and the broker is asking for P90,000”, PNP Women and Children Protection Center chief PCol. Renato Mercado said.
According to Secretary Rex Gatchalian, parents should not treat their child as a commodity or product that can be posted in the Marketplace of Facebook because of poverty in the Philippines.
He took note that DSWD continues to create programs with the aim of alleviating poverty and assisting every Filipino family.
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Gatchalian emphasized this act as a form of child exploitation and human trafficking, as it is unauthorized adoption and a crime by the National Authority for Child Care.
“One, children should not be treated as commodities. Two, whether you’re innocently letting your child be adopted or innocently looking… innocent or not innocent, any type of conduct of adoption outside the supervision or outside the guideline ng NACC is a crime.”
According to NACC Undersecretary Janella Estrada, the agency and the authorities are working hand-in-hand to shut down the Facebook page that is becoming the venue for the process of illegal child adoption and human trafficking.
Based on the reports by NACC and PNP, more than twenty Facebook pages were found by the department with the same cases of child adoption.
“masugid po nating tinututukan ‘yong pagbebenta po ng baby online. Simula po last year at ngayong pong February ay nakikipagtulungan po kami sa PNP para po mahuli ang mga taong involve sa mga Facebook pages na ‘to. Mayroon po tayong mga 20 to 40 Facebook page…”said Usec. Estrada.
Secretary Gatchalian assures that the agency won’t tolerate such cases and insists that the ultimate violator of the law will be held accountable, especially since the NACC has a legal way to adopt children.
When the secretary was asked what intervention the agency could provide to the parent, he emphasized that there are interventions for the victim or the child.
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“Palagay ko hindi kaya ng DSWD na maging ina ang isang ina, it comes innately. Alam naman nating kaya nga kanina, I was givinga everbody a benefit of the doubt by saying na whether inosente, but I think this was done with malice. Now, ang intervention namin will be on the victim.
The mother and the broker will be face cases after violations of the Anti-Human Trafficking in Persons Act 2003, amended by RA 10364 and RA 11862, and further amended by RA 7610, which provide special protection to children against abuse, exploitation, and discrimination.
Gatchalian still holds on to the fact that many mothers and parents still succeed in fostering their children and do not resort to selling their children on a social media platform.