PNP to intensify campaign against cyberbullying among youth

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Archie Gamboa ordered its Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) to intensify the campaign against cyberbullying that victimizes the youth.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the PNP said the PNP-ACG has investigated 19 cyberbullying cases from January 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020 as part of the campaign under the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013.

“With the surge of technological advancements, cybercrimes became one of the most prevalent modus nowadays. Oftentimes, cyberbullying is used by unscrupulous individuals to prey on the youth," the PNP chief said.

Gamboa also urged parents to report to authorities any incidents of cyberbullying.

“We urge our parents to monitor if there are changes in their child’s behavior,” he said.

“Should they confirm that their child has been victimized by a cyberbully or an online scammer, I encourage them to immediately identify the perpetrator and report it to the authorities,” Gamboa added.

The Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 requires all elementary and secondary schools to adopt policies to prevent and address acts of bullying in their institutions.

With this, the PNP-ACG  said cyberbullying complaints are expected to increase as victims become aware of the ways to report such incidents through social media, phone numbers, and emails.

The PNP-ACG and its Regional Anti-Cybercrime Units created official Facebook pages to receive reports of cybercrimes including cyberbullying, fake news proliferation, online scams, online photo and video voyeurism, and others.

“Aside from our frontliner operations against COVID-19 pandemic, we also intensified our cyber patrol operations and monitoring system against cybercrimes on social media and other interactive websites,” Gamboa said.

For the PNP chief, the use of social media should be “an avenue for proactive information and awareness activities as well as building a harmonious relationship with the community as servants and protectors of the people.”

According to the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013, cyberbullying is a form of bullying done through the use of technology or any electronic means. —Joviland Rita/KG, GMA News