The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday commended the National Authority on Child Care (NACC) and the Women and Children Protection Center of the Philippine National Police (PNP) for busting a syndicate engaged in the illegal selling of babies through the internet.

“With the arrest of the syndicate members, we expect that the illegal selling of babies and children using the social media will be stopped,” DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said during a press conference on Monday, 20 May, at the DSWD Central Office in Quezon City.

The DSWD chief said the NACC and the PNP are already tracking the other groups engaged in the selling of babies.

“Let this be a stern warning against baby-selling syndicates that we will go after you and we will prosecute all arrested suspects until they are convicted and meted prison sentence,” Gatchalian said.

He added, the DSWD and its attached agency, the NACC, have formulated an action plan that will put an end to the illegal selling of babies in the world wide web.

The DSWD-NACC plan of action include the active collaboration with social media providers like Facebook for the monitoring of FB accounts that are being used in the illegal activity.

“We also need a massive information campaign on the NACC law which provided a simplified process of adoption,” Gatchalian told reporters.

Gatchalian was joined by NACC executive director Undersecretary Janella Estrada and Police Colonel Renato C. Mercado of the PNP Women and Children Protection Center (WCPC).

The entrapment and rescue operation carried out by the PNP-WCPC against two suspects at Immaculate Conception Church in Dasmariñas City, Cavite last 15 May was based on a violation of Republic Act 9208 as amended, particularly the provision against child selling.

The PNP-WCPC identified the male suspect as Arjay Malabanan , 37 years old, married, a resident of Bacoor, Cavite, and an employee of the Dasmariñas City local government unit.

The other suspect is Ma. Chariza Rivera Dizon, 29 years old, single, a resident of Tondo, Manila, and mother of the rescued male baby who is 8 days old.

The suspects have already been charged with violation of Republic Act 9208, as amended by RA 10364 and further amended by RA 11862, particularly Sections 4(g) and 6 (a) and (o) and RA 7610, Sec. 10 (a).

The successful police operation was carried out by elements of the PNP-WCPC, led by P/LtCol Raul Bolido, Assistant Chief, ATIPD under the supervision of PCol Renato Mercado, C, ATIPD; and the Dasmariñas City Police Station, led by PLtCol Julius Balano, officer-in-charge, in coordination with the Dasmariñas City Social Welfare and Development Office headed by Joven E. Dicen.