Police will be working with the Office of the Ombudsman to track down the individuals responsible for leaking the sensitive personal data of its field investigators.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez, Jr. said the unauthorized leak could jeopardize the safety of the Ombudsman investigators and he said the police’s Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) was already directed to look into the matter.
“As an agency that is also involved in investigation and intelligence-gathering, we understand how serious this case is since this involves the safety of the concerned individuals,” said Nartatez.
“We will look into this case with urgency and with a commitment to run after all those involved,” he emphasized.
On Sunday, the Office of the Ombudsman issued a statement condemning what it described as malicious online disclosure of our investigators' identities.
“This unauthorized leak is a blatant attempt to intimidate public servants and directly jeopardizes their personal safety,” the Ombudsman said.
It added that it is coordinating with the National Bureau of Investigation and the PNP to identify the perpetrators and will pursue the maximum legal penalties under the Data Privacy Act and the Cybercrime Prevention Act against all individuals involved in the leak and dissemination of these confidential documents.
Nartatez said the investigation will not be limited to external actors as he noted that possible internal involvement within the Ombudsman is also being examined as part of the cyber probe.
He underscored that legal action will be pursued once evidence is established. He also assured protection for public servants who may be affected by similar threats.
“I assure that appropriate charges will be filed against individuals behind this leak of information. The PNP also assures all government officials and employees that the police force is ready to protect them against all kinds of threats to their security,” said Nartatez.