The newly installed chief of the Philippine National Police, General Rommel Marbil, faces the daunting task of curbing what President Marcos Jr. has described as “emerging threats” to national security: cybercrime, transnational crime and terrorism.
The emphasis on fighting cybercrime is borne out by data showing swindling is the top cybercrime in the country, with almost 16,000 cases recorded, followed by about 4,900 cases of illegal access and 2,400 cases of identity theft.
Other cybercrimes recorded by the PNP include credit card fraud, data interference, threats, photo and video voyeurism and computer-related fraud.
Last month, the President gave the same directive to fight cybercrime when he met with the government’s security cluster and was told by the PNP there had been a “drastic increase” in cybercrimes over the past 18 months.
The President has therefore directed Gen. Marbil to strengthen the PNP’s cybersecurity systems by training its personnel and investing in technology.
The new PNP chief has vowed to ensure “continuity and improvement” in the organization under his leadership, as he acknowledged their scope of responsibilities was evolving in a changing society.
Law enforcers, he noted, were “seeing new forms of criminality evolve wherever there is an opportunity to exploit the weaknesses that advancement brings.”
Hence, the PNP recognizes that effective law enforcement nowadays requires competency and innovation in the use and application of technology to its overall operation and daily work.
In line with this, the PNP will prioritize integrating its Secured, Mobile, Artificial Intelligence-Driven, and Real-Time (Smart) Policing Program and ICT Development Roadmap in their operations, which would include an active drive to recruit “a new generation of police officers and support staff” with technical expertise and specialized information technology skills.
This is a step in the right direction.
Gen. Marbil has vowed the PNP would be vigilant and uncompromising in fighting transborder criminality and terrorism with international partners “to stop these global threats from gaining a solid foothold in our society.”
The President reminded the PNP that despite the leadership change, its mission remains the same: “To serve and protect the people.”
More than this, the PNP should strive to become an institution that is “pro-God, pro-country, pro-people, pro-environment.”
A recent survey showed the PNP getting a 76-percent trust rating from respondents, which made it the third most trusted among 25 government agencies in the second quarter of 2023.
If they keep up the good work, no doubt the PNP can further improve the trust and confidence of Filipinos in the institution in the years ahead.