Villar chides NTC for failing to stop text scams

Senator Cynthia Villar at the hearing on the development of the Philippines’ horse racing industry. July 16, 2015
(Photo from Villar’s website)

MANILA – Sen. Cynthia Villar scolded officials of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) on Wednesday for failing to put a stop to text messages scam that victimized both subscribers and even the senator’s own foundation.

“I am quite sure that a number of us have received scam messages disguised as raffle winnings, promotional advertisements or notices of accidental load transfers or account charges,” said Villar said.

She said that deceitful groups involved in text scams have used her own foundation, the Villar Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance (SIPAG) Foundation.

“We cannot reimburse all the victims. But we have issued warnings about the scams,” lamented the senator.

Villar pointed out that NTC officials Edgardo Cabarrios and Gamaliel Cordoba and other officers should be in control of the issue. She also said that state counsel Dioxenus Sulit should coordinate with the National Bureau of Investigation to arrest these scammers.

“On the part of the NTC, you are now hearing this. The text scam proliferates because it is resold through the telcos and we are not doing anything about it. The NTC should know how to address this, to prevent this practice,” said Villar.

She said that one group was able to get P100 million worth of loads from scamming alone.

Meanwhile, head of the NBI Cyber Crime division Ronaldo Aguto, said that his agency already arrested a suspect named Mike Tan.

“They were able to convert it into cash,” said Aguto.