THE National Bureau of Investigation is beefing up its cybercrime unit with additional personnel to intensify its drive against internet-related crimes.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago announced the development as he presided over the graduation of 44 new agents from the NBI Academy.
“Karamihan sa kanila ay IT expert. So madadagdagan ngayon ang aking cybercrime agents, at ang technical intelligence agents pati ang forensic examiners ko. Madadagdagan ngayon (kasi) i-distribute namin sila sa mga unit na yun, mga important units
(Most of them are IT experts. So, this will beef up our cybercrime agents, technical intelligence agents and forensic examiners. We will distribute them to those units),” Santiago told reporters in a chance interview after the event.
Santiago said there is a need to boost the NBI cybercrime unit due to the continued increase in the number of internet-related crimes in the country.
“Alam nyo naman, ang krimen ngayon ay cybercrime na. Yan ang bagong trend. Buong mundo, hindi lang dito sa Pilipinas. Kaya, kailangan talaga mag-sumikap kami, mag-advance kami, one step ahead dito sa mga cybercrime violators na ito (Most crimes today are cybercrimes. That is the new trend worldwide, not only in the Philippines. That is why we need to upgrade and to stay one step ahead against these cybercrime violators),” he added.
The NBI chief said the new cybercrime busters will complement the agency’s equipment and technological capabilities.
He also said the agency is also getting assistance from their partners from the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), US Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Australian Police, especially in the examination of gadgets used in the commission of cybercrimes.
Santiago said that among the cybercrimes being looked into by the NBI are those committed by vloggers who spread fake news, and the investigation is being done in collaboration with other government agencies.
