Sen. JV Ejercito urged the Philippine National Police to intensify its campaign against online scams, help victims recover their money and hold perpetrators accountable.

During budget deliberations for the Department of the Interior and Local Government and its attached agencies, Ejercito noted that reported online selling scams declined from 3,025 cases in 2024 to 1,525 in 2025 but remained the most commonly reported form of cybercrime.

Ejercito, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, asked what measures the PNP was taking to assist victims who lost money through Facebook Messenger, online shopping platforms and other digital transactions.

“Natutulungan niyo ba ang mga kababayan natin na maibalik sa kanila 'yung nawala sa kanilang pera o na-scam sa kanila, o kaya naman ay mapakulong ang mga scammer?” Ejercito asked PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr.

(Are we helping our fellow Filipinos recover the money they lost to scams or ensuring that the scammers are put behind bars?)

Nartatez said the PNP had intensified its cybercrime campaign through the Anti-Cybercrime Group, the Unified 911 emergency hotline and the deployment of trained investigators.

He said these efforts helped reduce cybercrime’s share of recorded crimes from 40 percent to about 15 percent to 20 percent.

Ejercito urged the PNP to further strengthen the Anti-Cybercrime Group by providing additional personnel, equipment and digital forensic resources.

He said the agency must keep pace with cybercriminals who are developing increasingly sophisticated ways to steal Filipinos’ money.

Nartatez assured the senator that the PNP was upgrading its capabilities and improving the skills of cybercrime investigators.

He cited the ASEANAPOL Summit hosted by the Philippines last month, where participants discussed efforts to combat cybercrime syndicates operating across international borders.

“Last month, we had our yearly ASEANAPOL Summit, and the Philippine National Police as the host. One of the main topics was our fight against crimes committed over the cyberspace,” Nartatez said.