IACAT urged to crackdown illegal sale of babies online

Senator Win Gatchalian on Saturday urged the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) to intensify efforts addressing the illegal selling of babies online.

Gatchalian said the sale of babies has become rampant on social media platforms, particularly on Facebook.

In a previous press conference, the Department of Social Welfare and Development - National Authority on Child Care (DSWD-NACC) reported around 20 to 40 Facebook accounts have engaged in a “buy and sell” of children.

Gatchalian cited a case when the Philippine National Police - Women and Children Protection Center foiled the selling of an eight-day-old child for around P50,000 to P90,000.

The senator stressed such activity is a violation of the Republic Act 11862 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2022—a law that he co-authored and co-sponsored during the 18th Congress.

RA 11862 penalizes child laundering, which is defined as the selling and stealing of children under false pretenses.

Child laundering also refers to the use of schemes such as falsifying or manipulating children’s details or origins to make them appear as orphans or foundlings.

The law also prohibits other forms of human trafficking such as the online sexual abuse and exploitation of children.

“The rampant selling of babies in social media is alarming, we need to stop these trends as this can be considered abuse,” Gatchalian said as he urged law enforcers to be vigilant against such illegal activities.

RA 11862 gives law enforcers additional tools to pursue human traffickers both online and offline.

It also provides that internet intermediaries such as social media networks shall be liable for allowing the use of their platforms for trafficking.