PNP cracks down on cybersex in schools

By: Alfred P. Dalizon - Journal online

A SENIOR Philippine National Police official yesterday said more policemen will inspect internet cafes near schools and universities amid complaints they allow young students to engage in cyber-sex crimes.

“We will see to it that all city and municipal ordinances will be implemented to the hilt particularly on establishments including internet cafes located near schools and universities,” Director Silverio D. Alarcio Jr., PNP director for operations, told the Talakayan sa Isyung Pulis or T.S.I.P.

Dr. Corazon Rubio, deputy superintendent of the Quezon City schools division, earlier expressed alarm over the presence of internet cafes reportedly allowing students to view pornographic sites.

Rubio also asked the PNP to address the problem of fraternities, drugs and other petty crimes near their schools.

The school official said they need a much stronger police presence on school premises since most public schools don’t have the capability to hire their own security guards.

PNP chief Director General Avelino I. Razon Jr. said police will tightly secure schools and universities as millions of students return to school on June 10.

Razon asked for a dialogue with school authorities so that their concerns can be immediately acted upon by the “Mamang Pulis.”

NBI exasperated over delay of cybercrime bill, hits CICT

Melvin G. Calimag - Manila Bulletin

An IT officer of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has lambasted the continued delay in the passage of the country’s cybercrime law, pointing out in particular the failure of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) to submit an industry-drafted amendment to strengthen a bill currently pending in Congress.


"We’re frustrated in our law-enforcement work because we cannot go after these cybercriminals. Every minute that passes without a law on cybercrime is always an opportunity for them to do what they want," said Palmer Mallari, executive officer of the NBI anti-fraud and computers crime division.

Mallari made the comment during the sidelines of a recent e-commerce forum sponsored by the Philippine Internet Commerce Society (PICS) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) at the Ateneo Professional School in Rockwell Center, Makati City.

The NBI official was specifically upset when CICT chair Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua III delivered the event’s keynote and mentioned the agency’s current efforts to push for the ratification of a cybercrime bill.

"It seems all of these are for speech purposes and nothing concrete is being done," he said, adding that the NBI’s hands are tied in prosecuting IT-related offenses.

Mallari was indignant at what he said was the CICT’s inaction in submitting to lawmakers the amendments culled during a seminar on cybercrime held late last year.

The workshop he was referring to was the one sponsored by Microsoft Philippines that was attended by private and public sector representatives, including Catanduanes congressman Joseph Santiago, as well as foreign participants from the Council of Europe.

During the workshop’s conclusion, Santiago joined Roxas-Chua and Microsoft Philippines managing director Rafael "Pepeng" Rollan in signing a manifesto of support for a strong cybercrime bill.

Mallari said it has been almost six months since the amendments were turned over to the CICT, but the agency has yet to submit it to Congress through the sponsors of the proposed law. Before coming up with the recommendation, participants in the workshop met and discussed the needed amendments from July to November, he said.

But according to Roxas-Chua, the CICT has already formed a technical working group to firm up the amendments so it can be turned over to Congress. He, however, refused to indicate a definite date for its submission.

The technical working group is temporarily being headed by lawyer Teodoro Kalaw IV. He is standing in for fellow lawyer Claro Parlade, who is currently out of the country.

The Philippines desperately needs a law that will address emergence of new crimes such as cybersex and child trafficking. The country has an E-commerce Law, which was signed into law in June 2000 by former president Joseph Estrada, but this delves mostly on electronic evidence and penalties on common Internet offenses such as hacking and copyright violations.

NBI gets complaints of rampant cyber-sex crimes

"Effective" -- that’s how the National Bureau of Investigation describes its new program, "Kasali Ka!," a citizen crime reporting system which encourages people to report pressing concerns about crime and related incidents in their communities.

Roland Argabioso, chief of the NBI Field Operations Division, said the bureau has already received hundreds of tips -- through e-mail and text messaging -- in less than a week of the program's implementation.

"At least 40 percent of information was about cyber-sex crimes, 30 percent about drugs, 10 percent about sightings of wanted persons, and the rest was about domestic and marital problems as well as inquiries on how to acquire NBI clearance," Argabioso said.

"We think it's effective because our main goal is for the public to have easy access to the NBI," he added.

Argabioso also said that the NBI has also been receiving information about controversial cases.

"We'll use this information in our investigation," he said. "Hopefully this would help us in resolving the various cases we handle."

The public may now send information to the NBI via e-mail (nbi_fod@yahoo.com) or through a text message to 0927-3128999 or 0921-6188799, or a phone call to 5253094.

Argabioso said that the NBI came up with the program because most people are afraid to come out in the open to give information or report crimes.

"We understand that they're concerned about their safety and security. Through this program, they don't have to reveal their identities. Whatever information they give will remain confidential," he said.

Argabioso said the NBI was now verifying the information it got and surveillance operations were already being conducted as a result of a couple of tips.

But he warned against pranks.

"We have a way of verifying data. While we appreciate the public's cooperation and information provided to us, we will not tolerate unscrupulous individuals who make a mockery of the program."

By Tina Santos - Inquirer

Cops raid cybersex den, arrest 2 men, rescue four girls

By MAR T. SUPNAD - Manila Bulletin

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga — An American and his companion, who were believed to be leaders and financiers of a cybersex syndicate were arrested by policemen last Monday night when four girls were rescued on Bayabas St., Dau Homesite, Mabalacat, Pampanga.


In a report to Chief Supt. Errol T. Pan, newly designated police regional director of Central Luzon, Supt. Oscar Albayalde, chief of the Regional Intelligence division (RID), stated that RID personnel, led by Senior Inspector Romeo Castro, Mabalacat policemen and personnel of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, raided the cybersex den said to be maintained by an unidentified American and his Filipino companion.

The raid was conducted after Judge Philbert Ituralde of the Regional Trial Court here issued a search warrant following complaints by residents in the area who said that the house is a cybersex den victimizing unsuspecting young women.

Colonel Albayalde said the raid resulted in the arrest of two men and the rescue of four girls, one of them a minor.

The police, however did not reveal the names of the suspects pending the filing of a case with the court, saying only that they were American and a Filipino Informatic technician.

Informed of the busting of the syndicate, General Pan said he will immediately order the filing of the case against the suspects. Pan showed to newsmen the confiscated cybersex machine and computers to newsmen.

Cybersex addicts target ng bubuuing House bill

By: Ryan Ponce Pacpaco - Journal
BINUBUO na ng mga kongresista ang isang panukalang batas na magpapataw ng mabigat na parusa hindi lamang sa operator ng “cybersex,” kundi maging sa mga kababaihan at kalalakihan na mahilig “magpaligaya” sa sex online sa pamamagitan ng Internet matapos masangkot sa ganitong aktibidad ang 212,257 Pilipino.

Sa panayam, sinabi ni Catanduanes Rep. Joseph Santiago, dating komisyuner ng National Telecommunication Commission (NTC), na inaayos na nila ang draft ng panukalang batas katuwang ang ibang kongresista.

Bagama’t pinag-uusapan pa ang parusa, sinabi ni Santiago na mahalagang patawan rin ng parusa ang mga nahihilig habang sasailalim sa konsultasyon ang kaso ng mga biktima na puwersahang pinagta-trabaho ng mga sindikato sa cybersex.

“Isasama na natin sa mga parusa maging ang customers para masupil ito,” ani Santiago.

Nanindigan si Santiago na lalong lalala ang suliranin ng bansa sa cybersex dahil sa kakulangan ng batas laban dito kung saan paglabag lamang ng anti-pornography law ang umiiral at ibang mahihinang batas.

“We are now helping drafting a bill that would provide a more stiffer penalty against cybersex,” ani Santiago.