The Philippines now has its first monitoring center for cyber-trafficking in persons (TIP), the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) announced on Friday, July 23.
The IACAT said the facility is “equipped with the latest software and hardware tools, and will be operated by law enforcement agents who are provided with the latest training by the UK NCA” (United Kingdom National Crime Agency).
It noted that the facility was “established in response to the increasing numbers of Online Sexual Exploitation of Children (OSEC) reports in the Philippines.”
“This will help boost the country’s current capabilities in investigation and will greatly aid in the Council’s efforts to capture the perpetrators of OSEC,” it said.
The center will be managed by the NBI-AHTRAD (Anti-Human Trafficking Division) with 10 intelligence agents assigned by IACAT, it added.
In a statement, the IACAT – a council led by the Department of Justice (DOJ) – said the Cyber-TIP Monitoring Center was inaugurated last Thursday, July 22, by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) with the support of UK NCA.
“The technological nuances of OSEC are indeed challenging, as we play catch-up to modern-day criminals who change modus at lightning speed,” Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said during the launch.
Guevarra pointed out: “Meticulous case build-up and precision investigations are important to build airtight cases. But expertise doesn’t come overnight. Fortunately, new tools are also available at our disposal such as the Rule on Cyber Warrants, the Revised Rules on Evidence and the Cybercrime Prevention Act.”
The IACAT said that also present during the inauguration were UK Ambassador Daniel Pruce; DOJ Undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay-Villar; NBI Officer-in-Charge Director Eric Distor; UK National Crime Agency representative Jackie Greene; DOJ Assistant Secretary Nicholas Felix Ty; NBI Deputy Directors Ferdinand Lavin, Antonio Pagatpat and Vicente De Guzman; NBI–Anti-Human Trafficking Division (NBI- AHTRAD) Chief Janet Francisco; and IACAT Executive Director Jinky Dedumo.
Director Dedumo cited the importance of having a facility for Cyber-TIP.
“As we integrate our children in an online environment because of the pandemic, they become more exposed to online abuse. The Cyber-TIP allows the government to detect, receive, and address reports in a timely manner because there are children who need immediate rescuing.” she said.