Revilla scores inability to curb online scams

In the Senate's deliberations on the 2021 budget of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Senator Ramon Bong Revilla, Jr. questioned the Philippine National Police (PNP) on its capability to address cybercrimes.

In his questions to PNP Chief Police General Camilo Cascolan, the lawmaker cited sharp increases in the incidence of hacking, online falsities, online violence, and online scams in the last six months, attributing it to the growth of online activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Napakarami ngayong nabibiktima ng mga online selling scams. Napaka-seryoso nito dahil involved dito ang identity theft kung saan ninanakaw ng mga bogus seller ang identity ng ibang tao para makipag-transact, tapos maglalaho na lang at iba ang mapagbibintangan," Revilla explained.

"Nandiyan din yung pagdating sa'yo ng binili mo, iba kaysa sa binili mo, at yung iba nga, bato ang laman ng kahon, katulad na lang nitong si Arthur Baylon," he added.

Baylon is a third-year college student who saved up by catching fish with his father and selling their catch to buy a laptop he needs for school. When he bought a laptop online, what he received instead were three rocks in a box.

"Mabuti at isinoli ng seller ang pera niya matapos siyang magsampa ng reklamo sa pulis," shared Revilla. "Nakausap ko itong bata, at umaasa ako na matunton ng pulisya ang gumawa ng kalokohan. He is just one of the many na binibiktima ngayon ng mga kawatan. The police should step-up and we in the Senate will be behind them," he ended.