The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), the National Authority for Child Care (NACC), and the Women and Children Protection Center (WCPC) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) have formed a dedicated task force to crack down on the online trade of infants.
CICC Executive Director Alexander K. Ramos met with NACC Executive Director Janella Ejercito Estrada and PCol Renato C. Mercado, chief of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division of the PNP’s WCPC on June 3 at the National Cybercrime Hub in Bonfacio Global City to discuss the issue.
The alarming rise of social media groups facilitating the sale of babies prompted the collaboration. During the meeting, WCPC’s Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division chief, PCol Renato C. Mercado, identified four new Facebook groups actively involved in the illegal trade. CICC’s social media experts added two more Facebook pages to the list.
The price of a newborn varies drastically, ranging from PHP 30,000 to a staggering PHP 2 million according to the PNP. Poverty is often cited as the main reason, with some mothers resorting to selling their babies due to financial constraints. Brokers were also found to be involved in some cases.
Ramos was dismayed with the use of social media in the illegal sale of babies. “This problem of the illegal adoption of babies is not new but it has been going on for years. But the black market trade is now getting more sophisticated with the use of social media,” he said.
NACC officials have observed a concerning trend: a shift towards Facebook pages posing as surrogacy services. Surrogacy is a legal process where a woman carries and delivers a child for another couple or individual. NACC, a quasi-judicial agency under the Department of Social Work and Development (DSWD), holds exclusive jurisdiction over child adoption and alternative child care.
Authorities are urging the public to report any suspicious social media accounts to the Inter-Agency Response Center (IARC) hotline at 1326.
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