Panayam kay Executive Director Usec. Janella Ejercito Estrada ng National Authority for Child Care kaugnay sa monitoring sa sindikatong nagbebenta ng sanggol online
00:00 Monitoring the syndicate that sells "sanggol" online.
00:04 We will discuss this with Undersecretary Janela Ejercito Estrada,
00:10 Executive Director of the National Authority for Child Care.
00:14 Thank you, Ms. Pat.
00:15 Yusec Estrada, good afternoon.
00:18 Good afternoon, Ms. Nina and to my friend, Congresswoman Migs.
00:25 Thank you for having me.
00:26 Yusec, based on your monitoring, how widespread is the illegal adoption and sale of "sanggol" in the country?
00:35 This news is very concerning.
00:37 Well, as of this time, we have reported 23 Facebook pages and groups to the PNP,
00:46 to which PNP is currently working on leads and follow-ups.
00:50 The operation that was carried out the other day was through 10 "sanggol"
00:54 which unfortunately is still up and operating because I am also a member here.
01:00 Yusec, I just have a question. Hello, good to see you.
01:05 Since your last help with DSWD,
01:09 what will be your action plan to stop this illegal sale of "sanggol" online?
01:16 Actually, we sent a letter to Facebook Meta Philippines
01:23 although there is no reply from us, from NACC.
01:26 But the other day, Secretary Gatchalian said that he will help write to Meta Philippines.
01:34 We will continue to contact different government agencies and of course, PNP
01:42 to directly investigate and file cases against them and against online baby selling.
01:49 And on the part of NACC, we shall continue to do our job better, faster, affordable and effective.
01:57 And we shall intensify our information campaign
02:00 to let our countrymen know that NACC can help them with adoption and alternative child care cases.
02:09 How will you intensify the information campaign about the simplified process of adoption here in the country?
02:20 Actually, this interview is a huge opportunity for us to let our countrymen know about RA 11642
02:33 or Domestic Administrative Adoption and Alternative Child Care Act,
02:37 the process and requirements for legal adoption.
02:41 And actually, today, it's a bit noisy here because I'm here in our first National Congress on Adoption and Alternative Child Care.
02:50 We are partnering with different LGUs to strengthen our Philippine foster care program
02:59 and to let them know that there is an agency like this.
03:03 Yusek, with your monitoring, are there other social media groups that are doing this that you are monitoring now?
03:13 And what are the other ways that they are doing this other than online?
03:20 Well, so far, as I said earlier, we are monitoring 23 Facebook groups and pages that have thousands of followers.
03:31 And they are talking to the mothers of babies.
03:35 Actually, even if they are just biological mothers, they are already looking for agencies and brokers to adopt their children.
03:45 So far, that's what we are monitoring now, although I don't know if there are illegal adoptions happening outside of online platforms.
03:55 Okay. Ma'am, what will be the punishment for those who are caught selling babies?
04:03 How much is the price of selling babies as a mother?
04:09 I'm a bit surprised by this news that this is really being done by other people in our country.
04:16 Well, that's against the law.
04:20 The violation is under the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act and the penalty is from 20 years to life imprisonment and the fine of P1 million to P5 million.
04:33 But actually, our last case is a qualified trafficking because the child is involved.
04:39 So that is a violation of life imprisonment and P2 to P5 million fine.
04:45 They also violated the Anti-Child Abuse with penalty of reclusion temporal to reclusion perpetua.
04:56 They also violated the illegal adoption under RA 11642.
05:02 And for those who sell online, they also violated the Anti-Crime Act with penalty of life imprisonment.
05:08 Alright. So if we talk about how much they are willing to do this,
05:14 I heard that there are 45,000 and 50,000. Is that correct?
05:18 Sorry, please repeat it ma'am.
05:21 The amount of the price.
05:25 The amount of the price of selling the babies?
05:27 Yes.
05:29 This is the last case. The last case is the sale of a baby for P50,000 and then the broker charged P40,000.
05:39 So total of P90,000.
05:41 Although, the other groups that I saw, the lowest selling price is P10,000.
05:50 The highest selling price is around P100,000.
05:53 That's what I saw on the posts on Facebook pages.
05:57 Okay. P10,000.
05:59 Alright. Thank you very much for your time.
06:01 Undersecretary Janela Ejercito Estrada, Executive Director of the National Authority for Child Care.
06:08 Thank you Ms. Nina and to my classmate, Ms. Woman Lake. Thank you.
