Facebook shuts down accounts involved in selling babies

MANILA, Philippines — Social media platform Facebook (FB) has shut down 12 accounts found involved in peddling babies in the guise of adoption, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said yesterday.

According to Gatchalian, FB’s move was in response to the request of National Authority for Child Care (NACC) executive director Janella Estrada to bring down pages being used to sell and buy babies.

He noted that 12 pages have so far been “put down,” and further discussions are being arranged with representatives of Meta, FB’s parent company, to “ensure that pages such as these do not proliferate and are put down immediately.”

“We are meeting them to define the regulation for these pages. We have to see to it that we are on the same page,” Gatchalian told The STAR.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and NACC have been monitoring 20 to 30 FB pages suspected of involvement in these activities since last year.

This led to the rescue of an eight-day-old baby boy being sold by her own mother and an agent through FB marketplace for P50,000 to P90,000 in a church in Dasmarinas, Cavite last May 15.

Charges for violation of Republic Act 9208 – Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 – and Republic Act 7610, or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, were filed against the two by the Department of Justice.

Gatchalian added that FB did not take down the other accounts just because “they talk about scams and asking questions about adoption.

“So, Meta does not see them completely violating any law or policy,” he maintained. Gatchalian assured the public that they are closely monitoring other online platforms, not just FB.

He reiterated that any form of adoption outside of the “national guidelines on child care is a crime and will not be tolerated by the DSWD.”