SOME 30 cases of cybercrime-related incidents were recorded in 2019 according to the Cybercrime Unit of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Cordillera.
Police Major Divine Mencio, newly installed regional deputy chief of the Cybercrime Unit of PRO-Cordillera, said most cases are scams in the internet victimizing women, men and children.
"We have been tasked to investigate criminal acts committed through cyberspace by the misuse of devices such as libelous contents, slander, posting in the internet, harassment, blackmailing, cyber pornography, computer fraud, unsolicited commercial communications which pops up on devices among others. The violations included the non-observance of the data privacy act of individuals who were victimized by unscrupulous persons on the internet," Mencio said.
The cybercrime unit of PRO-Cordillera is directly linked to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Anti-Cybercrime Group, which is tasked to investigate all cybercrimes.
"Before, people affected by slanderous statements posted on the internet and wanting to file a case did not know where to go but with the creation of our cybercrime unit based at Camp Dangwa, we can now act on these cases," Mencio said.
If the act is committed against critical infrastructure of the Philippines, the penalty is a maximum fine in an amount commensurate to the damage incurred and/or imprisonment for a period of between 12 years and 20 years and one day or reclusion temporal.
"One case which we investigated involved two persons who pretended to be a female and they exchange photos via the internet. The suspect was found out to have a dummy account, while the victim was a young male. What we want to tell the public is to manage their use of cyberspace for them not to be victimized by scrupulous persons," Mencio added.
PRO-Cordillera's cybercrime unit has the capacity to retrieve digital data to be used as evidences needed in the filing of cases against scrupulously individuals.