THE PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group yesterday said owners of establishments should also be held liable for any illegal activity conducted by their tenants.
Col. Jay Guillermo, chief of the PNP-ACG’s Cyber Response Unit, said it is the responsibility of the owners to investigate people who would like to rent in their building, or they should be the first to know if there is something illegal going on in their place.
Guillermo said numerous units in buildings nationwide have been used as places to set up computers which criminals use in internet scams such as “love” and cryptocurrency scams.
In an interview with radio dzBB, Guillermo said owners should be doubtful if a renter will pay for one year in advance.
He said establishment owners usually do not mind what their tenants are doing as long as they pay the rent on time, or in other cases paid in advance.
“Maybe we can push for a measure that will hold building owners also liable for the illegal activities of their tenants in their properties.. They should be the first to know what their tenants are doing in their property,” he said in Filipino.
He said once a law is created for this purpose, it will be owners’ responsibility to prove he or she has nothing to do with the illegal activity taking place inside their property, after a raid is conducted.
He noted said policemen are experiencing problems investigating building units because of the refusal of its security personnel to fully cooperate, saying authorities need to present search or arrest warrants before they are allowed entry.
Guillermo said the process of securing warrants take time, and the suspects may have fled before a warrant is issued by the court.
He said the proposed law will also erase doubts among law enforcement agencies that owners are the ones coddling the criminals renting in their place.
