PNP needs 1.5K cops with IT skills to boost cybercrime response

He added that this is part of the PNP’s efforts to strengthen law enforcement and crime prevention in the digital age as cybercrimes spiked, especially at the height of the coronavirus pandemic when most people shifted to online activities and transactions. (File photo: Michael Marais/Unsplash)

MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) needs an additional 1,500 personnel for its Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) to effectively respond to the growing threats and incidents of criminal activities in cyberspace.

PNP chief, Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., said Wednesday they would be requesting funds for the recruitment of more personnel for the ACG next year, as well as for the acquisition of modern equipment.

“Our ACG needs more personnel who would man different offices and functions of the ACG. So by next year, we will be proposing at least 500 additional ACG personnel to be part of the recruitment,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the blessing and turnover rites of the newly-constructed ACG building at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

Once their request is approved, Azurin said the recruitment will focus on those who have background in information technology (IT).

“We will be requiring our ACG and our Directorate for Information and Communications Technology Management (DICTM) to come up with a proposal on the qualification of the personnel who would be recruited for ACG. But what is important is that the recruits must have knowledge of technology, specifically IT,” Azurin said.

Azurin said the presence of many foreign counterparts in the event highlights the need for stronger cooperation in the battle against cybercrimes and other transnational crimes.

“We need modern equipment that we can use in our cyber patrol and we know that the international community’s focus is on the battle against online child abuse and sexual exploitation,” he added.

He added that this is part of the PNP’s efforts to strengthen law enforcement and crime prevention in the digital age as cybercrimes spiked, especially at the height of the coronavirus pandemic when most people shifted to online activities and transactions.

Azurin, meanwhile, said the inauguration of the new ACG building is another milestone in the history of the police force.

“We laud the past and present leadership of ACG for embarking on changes and innovations geared towards leading the group to greater heights including the construction of this cutting-edge building that boasts a resilient and robust cybercrime response which is set to be the home of our cybercops. Indeed, this state-of-the-art facility which is considered at par with the cybercrime units of our foreign counterparts is very crucial to the requirements of the country’s cyber cops as they need to keep pace with the ever-changing peace and security environment and on responding to cyber security threats, computer-related crime, and other content-related offenses,” he added.

The proposal for the construction of the ACG and other buildings was discussed on Aug. 24, 2016, which was followed by the preparation of a building plan by the PNP Engineering Service.

In September 2019, the Office of the President, through the Office of the Executive Secretary, released a memorandum to cover the infrastructure component of the Secured, Mobile, Al-Driven, Real-Time Technology-Driven (S.M.A.R.T.) Policing Project which states that the ACG was one of the recipients of the approved funds in the amount of PHP103.9 million for the construction of the five-story building with a covered roof deck.

After a thorough bidding process in February 2020, the contract for the project was awarded to T.N. Ramos Construction and Development Corporation and was given a timeline of 420 days for its completion.

The onslaught of the pandemic in March 2020 interrupted the construction, but in June 2020, although with some restrictions, the project holders and workers managed to regain momentum and carry on with the coordination and supervision of the PNP ACG.