DSWD: Facebook unresponsive to take down pages engaged in baby selling

The Department of Social Welfare and Development reiterated its call on Facebook to take down pages in the social media platform allegedly involved in the online selling of infants under the guise of adoption.

According to a statement by DSWD on Tuesday, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian singled out Facebook’s inaction on the issue following reports made by the department’s National Authority for Child Care (NACC) since 2023.

“That’s why we called for this presscon because, maybe through the media ay makalampag ang Facebook na yung unregulated freedom sa Facebook should come with responsibilities na obviously, may mga bagay na klarong- klarong mali,” said Gatchalian.

(That’s why we called for this press conference because, maybe through the media you can make it known to Facebook that unregulated freedom in Facebook should come with responsibilities, that obviously there are things that are very clearly wrong.)

Gatchalian said that the NACC letter to Facebook last year has remained unanswered.

“[Social Media] can also be a very cruel tool especially when it is being used for human trafficking, which is a cruel act. It’s cruel, and abusive,” he added.

“Ulitin ko, parang ang hirap naman turuan ang isang ina na huwag mong gawing produkto ang anak mo at ilako mo sa Facebook. And the problem with some people akala nila dahil unregulated (ang Facebook,) kayang kaya nilang gawin, pwede nilang gawin,” Gatchalian said.

(Let me repeat, it is very difficult to teach a mother not to turn her child into a product to be sold on Facebook. And the problem with some people they think since Facebook is unregulated they are free to do as they please.)

Gatchalian on Monday raised the alarm on the illegal adoption and sale of babies over social media, saying this is a cruel form of child exploitation and human trafficking.

He also called on the public to report any activity of human trafficking as the agency works on “regulating [the platform] to some degree.”

DSWD Undersecretary Janella Ejercito Estrada said the NACC has been monitoring the illegal adoption of babies since last year and have found 20 to 40 Facebook pages where such transactions take place.

Estrada said there were also Facebook pages selling unborn children.

“These FB pages are private accounts with thousands of followers. These social media sites are selling babies online in the guise of adoption and since February, we have been coordinating with the PNP to put a stop to this illegal activity,” Estrada said.

According to the DSWD, Facebook's inaction may stem from the “absence of a law” that prohibits the online selling of babies.

According to Meta, the company that owns Facebook, its policy classifies human trafficking as “the exploitation of humans in order to force them to engage in commercial sex, labor, or other activities against their will” using deception, force, or coercion.”

The California- based technology company also specifies the sale of children, illegal adoption and orphanage trafficking among the several different forms of human trafficking.

In the Philippines, the sale of children is illegal under Republic Act 9208 as amended by RA 10346 (as further amended by RA 11862) or the Anti-Trafficking in Person Act of 2023 and punishable with imprisonment up to 12 years and a fine of P1 million to P5 million

GMA Integrated News has reached out to the Department of Information and Communications Technology and Facebook to get their sides on the matter.—RF, GMA Integrated News