Abbey M.

The National Authority for Child Care (NACC) has clarified that it does not conduct online adoptions and warned the public against fake adoption schemes.

The agency is also raising concerns over the increasing prevalence of baby selling through online platforms.

According to Assistant Secretary for Programs and Services Rowena Macalintal, the NACC has monitored five entrapment operations in 2024 and eight in 2025. Alarmingly, just in the first quarter of 2026, seven cases have already been recorded.

"Since 2024, we've monitored five entrapment operations. In 2025, there were eight, and now, surprisingly, the first quarter isn't even over and we already have seven cases. These are just the operations coordinated with the PNP Women and Children Protection Center. There are other operations by the NBI and the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group, and we're coordinating with them to consolidate data," Macalintal said.

As digital platforms continue to expand, they are increasingly being exploited for illegal transactions such as the online selling of children.

The seven first-quarter cases recorded by the Philippine National Police do not yet include ongoing operations by other law enforcement agencies or undetected groups operating through social media.

Macalintal revealed that some cases involve the biological parents themselves selling their own children.

"Unfortunately, some of them are the mothers and fathers of the children themselves. There was one mother who attempted to sell her child via a Facebook group for 12,000 to 15,000 pesos because she wanted capital for a food cart business," she said.

The NACC emphasized that it does not facilitate online adoptions.

"For those who want to adopt, there is no online adoption, so you should not resort to Facebook or the internet to look for a child to adopt," Macalintal stressed.

Meanwhile, the NACC warned that anyone who registers a child who is not their biological offspring as their own legitimate child may face criminal charges and imprisonment of eight to 10 years.

However, for cases covered under 2019 and earlier, individuals who took in children are given an opportunity to rectify the situation under the Simulated Birth Rectification Act, or Republic Act 11222.

The Simulated Birth Rectification Act is a law that provides an opportunity to correct fraudulent birth registrations where a child was registered as one's own despite not being the biological parent.

"Just file your petitions with local government units through your local social welfare and development offices. The simulated birth certificate will be canceled, the true birth certificate will be issued to show the real identity of the child you adopted, and it goes directly to the adoption process. There's no penalty, and even complicit nurses and midwives who conspired in the birth certificate can avail of amnesty under our law," Macalintal explained.

The grace period to legalize such cases is only until March 2029.

On the adoption process, the NACC assured the public that it is free of charge and only requires documents such as police clearance, medical evaluation and tests, and psychological evaluation.

Afterward, the child undergoes assessment by social workers for matching.

The agency reminded parents not to treat their children as commodities or abandon them.

If they cannot provide care, they should approach the NACC. The agency assured that this will not result in abandonment charges as long as it is done through proper channels to ensure the child is placed in a safe and caring environment.

The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations will defer to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) regarding the Chinese Embassy's latest statements against the Senate.

This comes as the committee responds to renewed criticism from Chinese Embassy Spokesperson Ji Lingpen directed at the Senate, following the upper chamber's adoption of a resolution condemning the Chinese diplomat's previous statements against Philippine government officials.

According to Senator Erwin Tulfo, newly elected chairperson of the Foreign Relations Committee, he wants to give the Code of Conduct a chance to be implemented.

"Let's leave this to the Department of Foreign Affairs for now because there is a code of conduct. The good thing about this code of conduct is that before, China didn't want to accept it. They really didn't want to. No code of conduct. 'We will not respect the arbitral ruling.' At least now, since this is a code of conduct being worked on by four countries, according to Secretary Lazaro, it seems China is amenable," Tulfo said.

(Ipaubaya na muna natin sa Department of Foreign Affairs kasi meron code of conduct. The good thing about this code of conduct, dati ayaw nila tanggapin ng China. Ayaw talaga nila. Walang code of conduct. “We will not respect the arbitral ruling.” At least dito, siguro since code of conduct na ito, ginagawa ngayon ng apat na bansa, eh, mukhang according to Secretary Lazaro, mukhang amenable naman daw ang China.)

Meanwhile, Senator Francis Pangilinan stated that based on recent events, the ball is now in the DFA's court to defend Philippine institutions.

"The ball now is in the court of the DFA, and of course the Office of the President. We urge them to act in defense of our institutions. That is our call," Pangilinan said.

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The public will judge whether the House of Representatives treats impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte the same way it handled complaints filed against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

This was the statement from the Makabayan Bloc after the House Justice Panel leadership assured that the committee would apply the same approach in handling impeachment complaints against the Vice President as it did with those against PBBM.

"The public will judge whether they think the handling of both complaints will be equal," said ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio, an endorser of the first impeachment complaint against VPSD.

(Publiko ang huhusga kung sa tingin nila ay magiging pantay ba ang paghandle sa dalawang complaints.)

The majority of House members continue to support the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who remains in a serious rift with Vice President Sara Duterte. 

This is why Tinio believes PBBM's allies will ensure the impeachment complaints against the Vice President pass through the House Justice Committee and even the plenary, unlike the impeachment complaints against PBBM, which were immediately dismissed by the House.

The public, he said, will see whether the House of Representatives provides equal treatment to impeachment complaints against the President and Vice President. Makabayan lawmakers are endorsers of impeachment complaints against both of the government's highest officials.

"If the standards we're talking about were excessively applied to the impeachment complaint against the President to dismiss it, will they do the same or will they be more lenient? So it remains to be seen," Tinio said.

(Publiko ang huhusga kung sa tingin nila ay magiging pantay ba ang paghandle sa dalawang complaints.)

Kabataan Partylist Rep. Renee Co expressed concern over the possible effects of the new rules adopted by the House Committee on Justice regarding the determination of "sufficiency in substance" or the weight of the basis for impeachment complaints, particularly regarding the authenticity of evidence attached to impeachment complaints.

"This additional rule that was voted on is really a hurdle, and we have house justice committee members who said this is impractical and not based on the usual practice or rules of the court, which is more accustomed to these hearings. If there are many attachments, even before the actual hearing, we'll take a long time just hurdling the sufficiency in substance portion," Co said.

(“So itong additional rule na pinagbotohan pa, hurdle talaga yan and we have house justice committee members na that said na impraktikal po talaga ito at hindi po ito nakabatay sa usual practice or rules of the court kung saan mas sanay sa hearings na ito (jc) at kung napakaraming attachments, wala pa sa hearing proper, matatagalan pa tayo sa paghurdle lang ng sufficiency in substance portion.”)

Earlier, House Justice Committee Chairperson and Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro assured that the committee would implement the same deliberation process for impeachment complaints against the Vice President.

"I wish to reiterate, we are assuring the Filipino people that whatever approach, parameters, and deliberation the Justice Committee had with respect to the impeachment complaints against the President, we will be adopting the same for the purpose of evaluating impeachment complaints against the Vice President," Luistro said.

During the House's last plenary session this week, no referral to the House Justice Committee had been made regarding the three impeachment complaints against the Vice President.

Wednesday, February 11 marks the third session day since the first two impeachment complaints against VP Duterte were submitted to Speaker Faustino "Bojie" Dy III's office on February 5. The third impeachment complaint was referred to the Office of the Speaker on February 9.

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Makabayan lawmakers are appealing to the Office of the Ombudsman and Congress to investigate evidence related to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s alleged direct involvement in serious corruption in government infrastructure projects.

This comes after House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio revealed on the House plenary floor that he allegedly possesses records of communication between former Presidential Legislative Liaison Office Undersecretary Adrian Bersamin and PBBM regarding the delivery of kickbacks from budget insertions. Bersamin allegedly served as the President's runner and bagman.

PBBM is safe from impeachment for one year after the House completely dismissed impeachment complaints against him. 

Meanwhile, the President is also immune from suit, meaning he cannot be charged with any case while in office.

"Those officials should be investigated, there should be accountability. We challenge the Office of the Ombudsman as well as this chamber—there's the Good Government and Public Accountability Committee, there's also the Blue Ribbon Committee. These new developments are serious and should not be ignored. They should be investigated and there should be accountability," said Gabriela Partylist Rep. Sarah Elago.

(Dapat imbestigahan ang mga officials na yan, dapat magkaroon ng pananagutan, hinahamon ang office of the ombudsman gayundin ang kapulungan na ito, nandiyan yung good government and public accountability, andiyan din ang blue ribbon committee, itong bagong developments na ito seryoso at hindi dapat ipagsawalang-bahala dapat imbestigahan at magkaroon ng pananagutan.)

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No one benefits from Filipinos arguing over the West Philippine Sea issue more than China.

According to the Philippine Navy spokesperson for WPS issues, this is part of a tactic used by China to pit Filipinos against each other to divert attention from who the real enemy is and what the real issue is.

"We have to understand what is the objective of the Chinese Communist Party. The objective of foreign malign influence and intervention is to divide Philippine society, to divide Philippine leaders, to cause us to debate among ourselves. And to forget that the bigger issue," said Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Philippine Navy Spokesperson for the WPS.

While the public is busy arguing and the country's leaders are quarreling over territorial boundaries in the West Philippine Sea, the real issue is being obscured: China's illegal presence in the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone, the bullying of Philippine vessels and our fishermen, and the spreading of false narratives.

For Trinidad, this is only part of China's broader plan to turn Filipinos against each other.

"Para makalimutan natin ang totoong issue. Pag-away-awayin tayo. It's very important to understand how they think, how they operate para hindi po tayo maligaw sa totoong hinaharap natin na kalaban sa West Philippine Sea," Trinidad said. 

(So we forget the real issue. They're turning us against each other. It's very important to understand how they think, how they operate so we don't lose sight of the real enemy we're facing in the West Philippine Sea.)

The AFP also responded to a senator's statement suggesting the country should just give up the Kalayaan Group of Islands, claiming they are not within our EEZ.

According to Trinidad, while Pag-asa Island is beyond the country's EEZ, the Constitution clearly states these islands are considered a regime of islands.

The AFP added that these islands have their own territorial sea and are part of the territory of the Republic of the Philippines, making it part of the AFP's mandate to protect the Kalayaan Island Group and any part of the country.

"Pag-asa group of islands, Pag-asa Island or the Kalayaan Island Group is beyond the EEZ. But it's very clear in the constitution, these islands are treated as a regime of islands. They are high tide elevations. They generate a territorial sea. Kasama po sa territoryo ng Republika ng Pilipinas. Likewise, kasama rin po dyan yung ating presidential decree 1596 that established the municipality of Kalayaan. It is a local government unit," Trinidad said. 

(They are part of the territory of the Republic of the Philippines. Likewise, that also includes our presidential decree 1596 that established the municipality of Kalayaan.)

The Armed Forces of the Philippines emphasized that the military's mandate to defend the country's territory is clear and unchanging, regardless of events in the country.

The morale of soldiers is also not affected by political issues, as they have sufficient resolve and a clear mission—to secure and defend Philippine territory.

"It is a mandate to protect national sovereignty, to ensure the integrity of the national territory all the way up to our 200 nautical mile EEZ and the regime of islands covering KIG, which is beyond our EEZ and to look after the wealth of the Filipino people. Ito ay maliwanag sa bawat nyembro ng ating sandatahang lakas. We have been formed this mandate for many years. 

We have proven it time and again without fanfare, without questions asked. Our patriots, our comrades have laid down the ultimate sacrifice and this is the mandate that we have sworn to protect, to perform, we will keep performing it," Trinidad said. (This is clear to every member of our armed forces.)

The Philippine Navy added that they also support the Philippine Coast Guard's call encouraging government officials to visit the Kalayaan Island Group to see the situation in the area.

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