Social media giant Meta is set to establish an office in the Philippines to improve coordination with authorities in addressing online threats and harmful content, National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag said Monday.

Matibag disclosed the development after returning from Singapore, where Philippine government officials met with Meta representatives to discuss information and data sharing.

The Philippine delegation included Department of Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Aguda, Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center Undersecretary Aboy Paraiso, representatives from the Senate and House of Representatives, and officials of the National Telecommunications Commission.

Matibag said discussions focused on improving coordination with Meta in addressing threats of “nihilistic violence,” particularly those similar to recent incidents in Tacloban and Zamboanga.

The NBI has been forwarding information gathered through its monitoring operations to Meta on potential online threats that could lead to similar incidents.

“Many were covered during the meeting and we are very positive,” Matibag said.

He said establishing a Meta office in the Philippines would provide authorities with a more direct channel for communicating concerns, including requests involving threatening or harmful posts that may require removal.

Matibag also warned individuals using online platforms for illegal activities that authorities would continue monitoring potential threats.

“Our message here, those doing something bad in cyberspace can no longer hide. They can no longer hide,” Matibag said.