Senate flags illegal abortifacients, peyote sold online

The proliferation of abortifacients, pills that can cause abortion, and peyote, whose use can result in visual or auditory hallucinations, was revealed by Senate President Vicente Sotto III, who ordered the Department of Trade and Industry to intensify monitoring and enforcement efforts on the virtual marketplace.

At the Senate deliberations on the proposed 2026 budget of the DTI late Wednesday, Sotto said numerous illegal products—including abortifacients and peyote—are accessible on social media platforms and e-commerce sites.

Peyote can produce a phenomenon known as synesthesia, where an individual may experience alterations in perception, such as hearing colors or seeing sounds.

“I asked the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) regarding the proliferation of illegal substances being sold on various online platforms. There are abortifacients openly sold on Facebook, and illegal substances such as peyote are sold on Shopee. You can see them there,” Sotto said.

Further, Sotto said the DICT earlier conveyed that it coordinated these concerns with the DTI, which prompted the Senate President to ask the DTI about its monitoring and regulatory actions on the matter.

Sen. Imee Marcos, sponsor of the DTI budget, admitted that despite ongoing efforts, sellers “seem to get away with it.”

She explained that under the Internet Transactions Act, takedowns are only valid for 30 days unless a court order is issued.

“After 30 days, they come back again. There has been no filing of cases in court, so violations persist,” Marcos said.

Sotto urged the DTI to pursue stronger, more aggressive action to curb this problem.

Trade Secretary Christina Roque, on the other hand, said they will look into the matter.