With the rise of online lending apps (OLAs) in the country, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) has warned the public against unregistered platforms offering loans.
The government has received reports of harassment from lenders toward borrowers, including invasions of their personal lives.
According to PAOCC Executive Director Gilbert Cruz, there are more than 300 OLAs currently operating in the country.
“Ang dami kasi niyan, nasa 300 iyan mahigit, but ngayon nga unti-unti natatanggal na natin, nati-takedown na natin iyan dahil kapag maraming reklamo iyong isang lending app na iyon, tinatanggal na natin at iyong talagang sobrang pasaway, iyan hinuhuli natin,” he said.
“There are so many of them, there are over 300, but now we are gradually removing them, we are taking them down because when there are many complaints about a lending app, we remove them and those that are really very rebellious, we catch them,” he added in a televised interview.
Cruz cautioned the public that not all lending apps can be trusted.
“There are bogus ones, there are abusive ones like the ones with the billing – they do the intimidation, the harassment and then they make you surrender your social media accounts, your contacts, your galleries so they can use them as leverage if the time comes for collection,” he explained.
The PAOCC has launched public information campaigns to warn users about abusive platforms.
“That's why we released an educational video so that those people or our fellow countrymen can be careful. But we're not saying they shouldn't borrow, we're just saying they need to be careful,” Cruz said.
Cruz acknowledged that many borrowers resort to OLAs out of urgent need.
“These people took out loans because they were in need and most of them really had nothing to spend,” he said.
To address this, PAOCC has established one-stop shops where victims of harassment can file complaints.
“Those one-stop shops that we have created like the one here in Pasay, the one in our office, we are the ones who help them – we take their statements and then we file the case, we will do that. Then, if they need transportation or expenses or food because sometimes it takes all day to investigate, we help them so that their efforts won’t be wasted as they come to us and file their problems and complaints,” he said.
Cruz noted that some victims of OLA harassment have taken their own lives due to extreme intimidation and pressure.
The public may file complaints directly at PAOCC offices or send messages through its official Facebook page.
Cruz advised the public to seek government-sponsored loan programs before turning to private apps.
“We have government-sponsored lending like our cooperatives, we have GSIS, we have SSS – let's first look at that to see if we can enter there,” he said.
If these options are unavailable, borrowers are encouraged to check with the Securities and Exchange Commission for legitimate online lending platforms.
Meanwhile, PAOCC continues to urge vigilance and adherence to official advisories to avoid harassment cases.
“It's just… have a little patience, because we know that—especially when they're in dire straits because they need to pay for the hospital or their child's school bills, sometimes they just give in. They don't read what they're putting in and what they're requesting, they just give it away,” Cruz said.
“All I can say is, when there are requests to surrender their online accounts or their galleries or contacts, be a little suspicious. And if they think the interest rate is too low, they should be suspicious. There are standards, there are regulations for borrowers – it takes a little longer [to borrow], it's not that fast, but that's what they look at—when it's too fast, it's a little dangerous,” he added.
Based on PAOCC records, there have been around 15,000 complaints from borrowers — a number that Cruz believes could be much higher since many victims remain silent.
“We are still waiting for many more people to come forward so that we can work together to solve this problem of online lending,” he said.