Julia Christine Botin

Poverty pushes parents to sell babies online - CHR

Article (news)

David Dizon

ABS-CBN News

The Commission on Human Rights on Monday raised the alarm on the rampant sale of babies online by poor families on different social media apps for as low as P90,000 (about US$1,500). CHR commissioner Będa Enpres said at least 16 people have been arrested for selling babies online, with one conviction. The youngest baby to be sold online was only six days old, he said. He warned that babies sold online could fall into the hands of child pornographers. “Medyo talamak siya ngayon maybe because of the advent of new tehnology. Nagagamit pong platform dito po sa illegal trade na ito ‘yung mga social media apps,” Enpres said in a radio DZMM interview.Sale of these babies is usually done through private Facebook accounts where the sellers “post, advertise and negotiate for the sale of the babies” with prospective parents, he said.Police investigation also showed the babies are sold by relatives of the infants because of extreme poverty.“Kakuntsaba po ‘yung magulang dahil pumapayag po sila na ibenta ‘yung kanilang babies. Ang kasamaang palad ay ang parati nilang sinasabing dahilan ay yung kanilang kahirapan kaya nauudyok sila na pasukin ang [pagbebenta ng] kanilang mga anak,” he said.Enpres said the sale of the babies is done in the guise of adoption as some parents hope that their children are given a better life by the new parents. He noted that those who want to adopt must do so through legal means.Babies sold online are then registered by the new parents via late registration. Those caught selling babies face violations of both anti-child abuse and human trafficking laws. Authorities earlier rescued a one-month old baby sold for Php90,000 via Facebook in Pasay City last July 3.

The Commission on Human Rights on Monday raised the alarm on the rampant sale of babies online by poor families on different social media apps for as low as P90,000 (about US$1,500).

The Commission on Human Rights on Monday raised the alarm on the rampant sale of babies online by poor families on different social media apps for as low as P90,000 (about US$1,500).