THE National Authority for Child Care (NACC) is monitoring 23 Facebook pages selling Filipino children online in the guise of adoption.
In a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing on Wednesday, NACC executive director Janella Estrada said the Facebook pages have been reported to the Philippine National Police (PNP).
“The PNP is currently working on leads and follow-ups. We sent a letter to Facebook Meta Philippines but we haven’t received a reply and (Department of Social Welfare and Development) Secretary Rex Gatchalian committed to help in writing a letter to Meta Philippines,” she said.
Estrada said these Facebook pages have thousands of followers where children are being sold at PHP10,000 to PHP100,000 each.
“Diyan sila nag-uusap ng mga nag-aalok ng baby, actually, kahit nasa tiyan pa lamang po ng mga biological mothers, naghahanap na po sila ng mga ahente at brokers para ampunin po ang kanilang mga anak,” she added.
Earlier, the PNP-Women and Children Protection Center rescued an eight-day-old child.
The child’s 29-year-old mother Ma. Chariza Rivera Dizon was arrested by the police for trying to sell the baby.
Arjay Malabanan, 37, was also arrested by the police for serving as an agent.
Dizon wanted to sell the child for PHP50,000 while Malabanan added PHP40,000 for helping to sell the child.
Apart from coordinating with the PNP, Estrada said the NACC partners with different local government units to strengthen the Philippine Foster Care Program. (PNA)
