Philippine senator seeks inquiry into selling of babies online
Cayetano formalised her motion in a resolution filed on Wednesday (July 16).
This came after the Commission on Human Rights Commissioner Beda Epres, in an interview with dzMM Teleradyo on Monday, raised an alarm over the uptrend in online posts that commodify babies, with most of them even having their own families complicit in their selling.
Cayetano strongly denounced the treatment of children as commodities and issued the resolution in response, calling for a thorough probe on the illegal trade of children.
'These are heartbreaking reports that demand swift and coordinated action. The sale of children online is a gross violation of their rights and a crime under our laws,' she said.
Law enforcement and social agencies were tapped to look into whether the transactions occur in the oversight of organised syndicates and to address the systemic gaps that enable the widespread perpetration of the crime.
Cayetano called for the strict enforcement of the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, which recognizes the selling of children and adoption for cash as acts of human trafficking.
The Domestic Administrative Adoption and Alternative Child Care Act was also cited as a means to strengthen affordable and efficient adoption procedures for Filipino families.
The senator also pressed for concentrated efforts in educating the community and digital monitoring, on account of reports of unborn babies already being placed for adoption in exchange for money.
'This issue is a painful reminder of the deep poverty and desperation that some families face, but that cannot justify the exploitation of our children. We must give mothers and families real alternatives, including accessible social services and a humane, efficient adoption system,' said Cayetano.
The senator vowed to lobby for legal measures that shield Filipino children from cases of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Express
2 days ago
- Daily Express
Four men jailed for theft, drug offences
Published on: Tuesday, August 19, 2025 Published on: Tue, Aug 19, 2025 By: Jo Ann Mool Text Size: Charged under Section 379 of the Penal Code, Roslan faces up to seven years in prison, a fine, or both. Kota Kinabalu: A 33-year-old labourer was sentenced to nine months in jail by the Magistrate's Court here for stealing a mobile phone from a foreign worker. Roslan Mansur pleaded guilty before Magistrate Marilyn Kelvin to stealing a gold iPhone 16 Pro from a Filipino man, Juarez Mersan, at 2am on Aug 6 along the Waterfront pedestrian walkway at Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens. Advertisement Charged under Section 379 of the Penal Code, Roslan faces up to seven years in prison, a fine, or both. According to the prosecution, Juarez was walking with a colleague when Roslan bumped into him. Moments later, he noticed Roslan holding a phone identical to his, checked his pocket, and realised his own phone was gone. Though he attempted to chase Roslan, the thief escaped. Roslan was later arrested after a police report was filed. In a separate case, Md Syahfiq Tonny, 23, was jailed for eight months for possessing a stolen electricity meter belonging to Ahidi Jumin. The item was recovered on Aug 9 in front of a house at Kg Lapasan, Telipok. It had been reported missing on Aug 3. He was charged under Section 411 of the Penal Code for retaining stolen property, which carries a jail term of up to five years, a fine, or both. Meanwhile, two other men were jailed for drug offences. Usama Jalani and Azwan Jamian received eight months' jail each after pleading guilty to possessing 0.05gm and 0.07gm of syabu, respectively. They were charged under Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which provides for a fine of up to RM100,000 or up to five years' jail, or both, on conviction. In addition, Azwan was given a further seven months under Section 15(1) of the same Act for drug consumption. Usama was ordered to be referred to the Immigration Department after completing his sentence. Inspector Yusdi Basri prosecuted all four cases. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Philippine Senate asked to probe church accused of abusing 156 kids
MANILA: Deputy Minority Leader Senator Risa Hontiveros (pic) has filed a resolution pushing for a Senate investigation of the alleged abuse and maltreatment of 156 rescued children under the custody of a certain Pastor Jeremy Ferguson of the New Life Baptist Church of Mexico Pampanga, Inc. (NLBCMPI). Hontiveros, the head of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality, said in Senate Resolution No. 77 that 'the reported incident underscores the necessity [for] a comprehensive review of accreditation, monitoring, and regulation mechanisms for public and private institutions that assume custody of minors to prevent similar cases.' She cited reports that the children lived under abusive conditions, with some of them allegedly subjected to physical, verbal and psychological abuse while under the custody of the NLBCMPI. 'A complaint filed by two 12-year-old boys, as represented by their guardians and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), alleged that Pastor Ferguson made them kneel for long periods, fed them spoiled food and deprived them of play,' Hontiveros said in her resolution. 'Aside from issues of child abuse, the DSWD also found that NLBCMPI violated the DSWD registration, licence to operate and accreditation standards, and was operating the shelter under conditions that exposed the children to fire hazards, mismanagement of funds and improper case management, prompting the agency to issue a 30-day cease and desist order,' she added. According to the senator, there is an urgent need to revisit existing laws and policies, including Republic Act No. 7610 and other related statutes, to ensure stronger safeguards for children placed in social welfare and development agencies like the NLBCMPI and other similar facilities. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
Philippine mayors urge President Marcos: Jail politicians involved in botched infra projects
MANILA: Anti-corruption mayors have urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to finally reveal the names of politicians and contractors involved in botched infrastructure projects in different parts of the country. In a statement on Saturday (Aug 16) evening, the Mayors for Good Governance said it stands firmly with the Filipino people in demanding the truth, accountability, and justice behind the massive corruption allegations in flood control and other infrastructure projects, especially the reported collusion between government officials and favored contractors. The statement was signed by Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who was among the first to reveal the involvement of some lawmakers in these bungled projects; Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, and Isabela City Mayor Sitti Hataman. More mayors are expected to sign the statement, with the group having the support of more than 100 local chief executives across the country when it was launched in August 2023. 'Flood control projects have existed for decades, but over the past years, corruption in these projects has become more alarming, pervasive, and systematic,' the group said. 'Those who have stolen public funds must face the full force of the law. Once proven guilty, politicians and bureaucrats must not only be removed from office, but also prosecuted and jailed,' it added. The mayors demanded the Department of Public Works and Highways, who implemented these flood control projects, as well as all concerned national government agencies 'the immediate and full disclosure of all project details: the Programmes of Work, Detailed Unit Price Analyses, Bill of Quantities, and Feasibility Studies, and most urgently—the names of contractors and politicians responsible for these multi-billion peso projects funded by our taxpayers.''Transparency is no longer optional, but a duty we owe to every Filipino,' they said. 'Corruption must end now. The Filipino people deserve a government that protects and serves them, not one that endangers their lives and robs them of their future,' the mayors added. Local chief executives in the past week have complained that many of the flood control projects have not been coordinated with them or consulted with experts before they were constructed. Many of these projects have also been implemented without approval from local government units, making them not in line with local development plans. Magalong on Friday said he would comply with the Malacañang's suggestion and submit the documents he have about the connivance of lawmakers and contractors to profit off the flood control projects to Marcos. But he stressed that a third party should lead the investigation into the anomalous flood control projects. Magalong said he is still open to leading the independent committee for the probe. Palace press officer Undersecretary Claire Castro on Thursday brushed off the proposal of the Baguio mayor to appoint a lead investigator for the ongoing probe. Castro urged Magalong to identify the 67 members of the House of Representatives that he and Sen. Panfilo Lacson alleged to be moonlighting as contractors, and may have been adding to overpriced or substandard construction, or both, of flood control and other infrastructure projects. This way the government may immediately pursue charges with sufficient evidence against these personalities. In his fourth State of the Nation Address on July 28, Marcos ordered the investigation of all the flood control projects undertaken in his administration, admitting that many of these failed to protect Filipinos from the floods that submerged their communities for days. Two weeks later, the President revealed the list of all the 9,855 flood control projects implemented by the DPWH from July 2022 to May 2025, through the 'Sumbong sa Pangulo' website. But he himself found it 'disturbing' that that P100 billion, or 20 percent of the entire P545-billion budget for flood mitigation projects undertaken by the DPWH, was awarded to only 15 out of 2,409 accredited contractors. He played it safe, saying that while he revealed the names of the 15 top contractors which cornered most of the flood control projects, he was not accusing them of any wrongdoing. His tone would change days later when he himself got to see the sorry state of these flood control projects, first in Iloilo City, then in Calumpit, Bulacan. In his Aug 15 inspection of the dike rehabilitation project in the perennially flooded town of Calumpit, Marcos was visibly irritated on what he saw, calling it 'irregular and sloppy.' The President demanded answers from St. Timothy Construction Corp., which was among the 15 top contractors he earlier bared, for the severely damaged riverside flood barrier. Based on data, the P96.5-million project has been completed since February 2023. 'It cannot be like this! Unbelievable! This has been going on for years,' said Marcos, expressing frustration and disappointment. - The Straits Times/ANN
