The PNP Women and Children’s Protection Center reported a rise in online child-selling cases in 2025, with eight arrests up from five in 2024.
WCPC Chief Brig. Gen. Maria Sheila Portento said easy access to online platforms is fueling the trend, prompting coordination with social media to remove illegal posts.
Most arrested cited financial struggles, though babies can be legally surrendered for adoption instead of being sold.
A 17-year-old mother in Quezon City was recently caught trying to sell her one-month-old for P55,000 and now faces possible human trafficking charges.
The Commission on Human Rights urged stricter online monitoring and prosecution, stressing that no child should ever be treated as a commodity.
Source: PhilNews24 | January 9, 2026
