PNP intensifies cybercrime crackdown

The Philippine National Police (PNP) intensified its operational drive against online threats Tuesday following a sharp increase in the number of Filipino families reporting cybercrime victimization.

PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. directed the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) and regional police commands to scale up measures against online scams, account hacking and cyber fraud.

The directive aligns with instructions from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla to address emerging threats.

“Our ACG and concerned regional units have been intensifying cybercrime prevention, investigation, and public awareness efforts, particularly against online scams, account hacking, and other schemes targeting our communities,” Nartatez said.

The policy push follows the latest Social Weather Stations survey conducted June 20-29 among 1,200 adults nationwide, which revealed that cybercrime victimization among Filipino families rose to 8 percent in June, up from 5.8 percent in March.

SWS recorded increases across Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao, while Balance Luzon recorded a slight decrease.

Nartatez ordered police commanders to strengthen interagency coordination and accelerate the processing of public complaints to prevent online criminal operations from expanding.

“We must strengthen coordination with our partners and ensure that complaints are acted upon promptly,” Nartatez said.

The same SWS survey highlighted contrasting trends between digital and physical threats. Traditional crime victimization dropped to 10 percent nationwide in June from 12.3 percent in March, with reported incidents of street robbery, vehicle theft, break-ins, and physical violence all showing declines.