DOJ to give upgraded tech tools to prosecutors vs. cybercrime

By Benjamin Pulta, Philippine News Agency

The law authorizes the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to look into cases and apply for “cybercrime warrants and orders” with respect to electronic communications used in any violation of the law. (Pexels Photo)

MANILA – The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday said it is upgrading the technological tools available to prosecutors to enable them to better handle emerging cybercrime trends.

Speaking during the 2024 Post-State of the Nation Address (SONA) Discussions, DOJ Undersecretary Raul Vasquez said the recently passed Republic Act No. 12010, or the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (AFASA), will bolster efforts to crack down on cybercrime.

“The Department of Justice is very much focused on heightening its capacity of cybercrime prevention, and in fact the recent approval of this cybercrime law capacitates more the prosecutor in the fight against cybercrime,” he said.

He said serious efforts are made to improve prosecutors’ tools against cybercriminals.

“There is a really an effort to secure the latest technology to enable the prosecutors and law enforcement in this fight against cybercrime. We have to emphasize that the law is a bit static and a bit behind in terms of technology and cybercrime, as we know it, is an ever-evolving area where there is a lot of prospects for criminality within the domestic sphere as well as the international sphere,” he said.

“There are transnational crimes being committed and there is a serious effort, a whole-of- government approach is being undertaken by all security agencies of our government in order that we may combat this rising nefarious activity,” he said.

He said the DOJ is also trying to ensure that the National Justice Information System (NJIS), which is under the Justice department, would soon enable all partner agencies to communicate and share information with each other in the fight against criminality.

AFASA, a legislation seen to combat surges in crimes, involving online scams had been one of the laws highlighted by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. during his SONA last Monday.

On July 20, the President signed the law which, he said, “is essential in this time as cybercriminals use technology to defraud fellow Filipinos, causing not only personal economic loss through them but also a loss of trust in financial institutions.”

The law authorizes the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to look into cases and apply for “cybercrime warrants and orders” with respect to electronic communications used in any violation of the law.

It also gives the BSP limited authority to examine and investigate bank accounts, e-wallets, and other financial accounts involved in the prohibited acts.