Senator Richard Gordon has filed a resolution seeking a Senate inquiry on cybertheft crimes, including the unauthorized withdrawals from bank accounts of government employees.
“The Senate must spearhead an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on strengthening existing pertinent legislation on cybersecurity in close cooperation with law enforcement to adequately protect the Filipino people, particularly those most vulnerable and the financial security of their persons and families essentially relying on our collective cybersecurity,” said Gordon, chairman of the Senate Justice and Human Rights Committee, in filing Resolution 987.
“The Senate is compelled to act on the vicious commission of cybercrimes against the Filipino people, particularly against teachers and other public servants, private employees, and businesses taking away their hard-earned savings, violating their financial security, assaulting their cybersecurity, and disregarding their rights,” he added.
Under the Cybercrime Prevention Act, the senator said there is a need to protect and safeguard the integrity of computer and computer systems, networks, and databases from misuse, abuse, and illegal access.
Benjo Basas, Teachers’ Dignity Coalition chairperson, said in an interview that 20 teachers and DepEd personnel reported unauthorized transactions in their Land Bank accounts, with the amount of money lost ranging from P160,000 to P200,000.
The Trade department’s Consumer Protection Group also reported there has been a surge in the number of online transaction complaints since the pandemic began.
For its part, LandBank said it welcomes the investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation on the alleged phishing schemes victimizing teachers.
LandBank president and CEO Cecilia Borromeo said the state bank is also coordinating with DepEd for the list of teachers who were reportedly victimized through phishing.
“We will actively participate in this investigation and extend full cooperation to the NBI with the end in mind of further securing our depositors’ hard-earned money. We are also reaching out to the affected teachers and conducting an internal investigation on their complaints. In the meantime, we assure our clients and the general public that LandBank’s systems remain stable and secured,” said Borromeo.
Meanwhile, the Bankers Association of the Philippines, the organization of universal and commercial banks, has lauded the successful efforts of the National Bureau of Investigation in catching the perpetrators of the “Nagoyo” scam.
“We thank the National Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice for their successful collaboration in holding cybercriminals accountable for what they have done. Their actions demonstrate that cybercriminals will never go unpunished for victimizing the Filipino banking public and stealing their hard-earned savings,” Jose Arnulfo Veloso, BAP president, said in a statement over the weekend.
“The BAP and its member banks are fully confident in the capabilities of our law enforcement and judicial system. We trust that the perpetrators of the scam and their victims will be afforded a just and speedy resolution,” Veloso said.
Nestor Tan, president and chief executive of BDO Unibank Inc., assured clients that all of their cybercrime-related concerns would be immediately addressed.
BAP is set to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Justice on Feb. 4, 2022 to cement the strong partnership between the banking industry and the national government in the fight against cybercrime.
The MOU will facilitate the creation of a collective, coordinated and strategic cyber response that is crucial in this period of heightened cyber criminality.
Earlier, NBI said at least 5 people, including two Nigerians, have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the massive BDO hacking incidents.
The arrested individuals were part of the “Mark Nagoyo Heist Group,” which was identified as the perpetrators behind the hacking incidents that affected over 700 customers.