ILOILO CITY — On Tuesday, following the arrest of 17 Chinese nationals for cybercrime activities in the Jaro district, local authorities, along with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), are delving into the scope of their operations.
According to Philippines News Agency, Undersecretary Alexander Ramos, the investigation aims to uncover the full extent of the syndicate's activities in Iloilo, a concern due to its expansion beyond Metro Manila. Ramos, who spoke during an interview, highlighted the urgency in understanding the organization's reach and mitigating the spread of such cybercrime networks. The possibility of the suspects being part of a larger syndicate or victims of trafficking is still under review.
The CICC delegation met with the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) Director Col. Joeresty Coronica after inspecting the subdivision where the alleged illegal operations took place. Ramos emphasized the CICC's role in assessing the local police's capabilities and providing them with additional skills and tools to aid in their investigation.
Meanwhile, Coronica indicated that this cybercrime bust is significant due to its potential connections beyond Iloilo City. He revealed that the Directorate for Intelligence at the national headquarters is working with the Bureau of Immigration to probe the suspects' backgrounds, noting that only six of the arrested individuals had passports.
The suspects were formally charged on Monday with offenses under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, specifically Section 4 (C) (1) related to cybersex operations and Section 4 (B) (2) concerning computer-related fraud. These sections criminalize the operation and engagement in lascivious exhibition of sexual activity for compensation via computer systems and the unauthorized manipulation of computer data with fraudulent intentions, respectively.
Col. Coronica also mentioned that should the suspects post bail, they would be turned over to the Bureau of Immigration to address potential violations of immigration laws.