DOJ asks Facebook for more child protection initiatives online

Justice spokesperson Mico Clavano on Thursday called on Meta, the parent company of Facebook, to create more initiatives and programs to help protect children online.

“We still would ask Meta for even more, siguro, initiatives, programs, at mechanisms para mas widespread po ‘yung protection natin sa ating kabataan na nasa online,” Clavano said in an interview on BP Ngayon.

(We still would ask Meta for more initiatives, programs, and mechanisms so that the protection of children online is more widespread.)

DOJ's statement comes after the Department of Social Welfare and Development raised the alarm over the illegal adoption and sale of babies over social media, saying this is a cruel form of child exploitation and human trafficking.

Authorities recently arrested a woman and her broker during an entrapment operation in Dasmariñas City on May 15 for attempting to sell the woman’s baby for P90,000.

The DOJ has filed charges of trafficking and child exploitation against the two individuals.

Clavano, meanwhile, called on the public to report irregularities such as the sale and illegal adoption of children that they see on the social media platform.

He added that the DOJ is already in talks with the Office of the President regarding the matter.

“Dahil si Presidente na mismo, gusto na mag intervene dito sa ating problema na ito. Sa tingin po niya, hindi po tayo magkaka progress, no? Walang progression ang Pilipinas kung meron tayong mga problema na ganito,” he said.

(The president himself wants to intervene in this problem. He thinks there will be no progress for the country if we have such problems.) —VAL, GMA Integrated News