Remulla: DOJ received over 4K harassment, unlawful debt collection reports

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has received almost 5,000 reports of harassment or unlawful debt collection from 2020 to 2022, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Monday.

During a media briefing on the SIM Card Registration Act, Remulla said the agency’s Office of Cybercrime received a total of 4,899 reports of harassment and unlawful debt collection from online lending companies, where the harassment was done through phone calls or text messages.

“[W]e are fully supportive of the SIM Registration Act and its IRR because this will address one of the common challenges in the investigation and prosecution of cybercrime and cyber-related cases,” he said.

Citing data from the National Prosecution Service, Remulla said the disposition rate in relation to cybercrime and cyber-related cases also increased from 601 cases in 2020 to 1,218 cases in 2022.

He said this had a 30% conviction rate in 2022 from the 25% in 2020.

“We are hopeful that with the full implementation of the law, these case disposition and conviction rates will be further improved,” he said.

Meanwhile, Remulla hoped that offenders and victims of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) may be identified easier through the measure.

He said that majority of funds associated with child pornography are coursed through money changers and remittance agents.

“Given that remittance transactions require mobile numbers of senders and receivers, offenders or victims may easily be identified and located using mobile numbers in potential OSAEC cases,” he added.

Scam messages

Meanwhile, the Department of the Interior and Local Government said that Globe Telecom Inc. blocked 784 million scams and messages in September.

“Ibinalita ng Globe telecom noong Setyembre na umabot sa 784-M scams at spams messages ang ikinailangan nilang i-block,” Interior Undersecretary Margarita Gutierrez said in the briefing.

Gutierrez said Globe also placed 8,973 sim cards on their blocklist.

Meanwhile, she said Smart blocked 51 million text scams in one month.

IRR not etched in stone

According to Remulla, the implementing rules and regulation of the Sim Card Registration Act is not etched in stone.

“The IRR may still be subject to amendments or alterations and the NTC is not precluded from releasing additional issuances to supplement the implementation of any particular provision… under the IRR,” he said.

Remulla urged the public to not be afraid, saying that the act will not be used for “state surveillance or any such nefarious purpose.”

“The collection of data by the telcos will be under stringent regulatory oversight and monitoring of concerned government agencies so the public can be assured that their data and information will be safeguarded,” he said.

“We further assure the public that the telcos’ compliance with their obligation shall be periodically monitored by the relevant government agencies,” he added. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News