Twenty-eight officers and employees of three lending companies, one financing firm, and two business process outsourcing (BPO) entities were charged criminally before the Department of Justice (DOJ) for allegedly harassing and threatening borrowers. The complaint was filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission through its Enforcement and Investor Protection Department (SEC-EIPD). SEC-EIPD Director Oliver Leonardo identified those charged as officers and employees of FESL Lending Investor Corp., U-Peso Lending Corp., Philippine Microdot Financing Corp., Armorak Lending, Inc., and BPOs FESLs Business Process Outsourcing Services and Realm Shifters Business Process Outsourcing. “Ang SEC, sa pamamagitan ng aming Enforcement and Investor Protection Department, ay naghain ng kasong kriminal sa paglabag ng Financial Products and Services Consumer Protection Act sa tatlong lending companies, isang financing company at ang kanilang dalawang business process outsourcing (The Securities and Exchange Commission, through its Enforcement and Investor Protection Department, filed a complaint against three lending companies, a financing company and their two BPOs),” Leonardo, who led the filing of the case on Tuesday, June 20, told journalists. The 28 respondents, including five foreigners, were charged with violations of Republic Act No. 9474, the Lending Company Regulation Act, and RA 11765, the Financial Products and Services Consumer Protection Act. Leonardo said: “ipinagbabawal sa batas Section 8 ang mga pamamahiya o paglapastangan sa karapatan ng ating mga mangungutang, yung pag share ng mga contact details, pambabastos (it is outlawed in Section 8 of the law to embarrass and step on the rights of borrowers, the sharing of their contact details, and shaming.” “Ito po ay isang criminal offense na po sa ilalim ng ating FPSCPA (These are criminal offenses under the Financial Products and Services Consumer Protection Act),” he said. “Itong foreign nationals, ayon sa aming talaan, sila ang nagpapatakbo, sila ang may-ari at minsan yung mga korporasyong involved dito mga foreigners din (These foreigners, according to our records, run the companies, are the owners and sometimes some of the corporations here have foreigners involved),” he also said. Leonardo explained that the complaint was filed after the SEC, in collaboration with the Philippine National Police’s Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG). served search warrants against these companies. He said the complaint filed before the DOJ was the second after the SEC filed the first complaint before the Pasig City Prosecutor’s Office. “Marami pang susunod na ating pafilan ng kaso na kriminal (We will be filing more criminal cases soon),” he said.