CICC confirms review on PH-based firm tagged in Epstein files

The Department of Information and Communications Technology-Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (DICT-CICC) is conducting a review into the alleged involvement of a Philippine-based firm to late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

This was confirmed by DICT-CICC Executive Director Renato “Aboy” Paraiso to GMA News Online.

“Meron na po in anticipation po ng Senate and House inquiry (There already is [a review] in anticipation of Senate and House inquiries),” Paraiso said. He did not elaborate.

The CICC chief was asked if the agency is already reviewing the supposed involvement of a Philippine-based team hired by Epstein, through Al Sackel —who is married to Ghislian Maxwell’s sister— to wipe out the sex offender’s alleged criminal activity from the web.

Maxwell was Epstein’s girlfriend and procurer.

Last week, the Makabayan bloc filed proposed House Resolution No.762, directing the House committees on public information and women and gender equality to hold a legislative inquiry on reports that Epstein hired a Philippine-based team to wipe out alleged criminal activity from the web.

Based on the documents from the US Department of Justice, Al Seckel allegedly helped Epstein outsource a firm in the Philippines to conceal the disgraced financier's alleged crimes on the internet by covering up negative links and promoting positive ones. 

“Google suggests has gotten rid of two negatives … jeffry epstein jail and one jeffrey epstein pedophile … another thing I’ve had the Philippine work on since day one,” Seckel told Epstein in an email dated December 7, 2010.

“Our group in the Philippines is building links and links to our sites, pseudo sites, and the other Jeffrey Epsteins of the world," Seckel’s email in October 2010 stated.

The cover-up was done by creating many links to the websites and pages they created about Epstein, emphasizing his supposed involvement in areas like science and sports.

“Wikipedia was an important victory, as it will always be at the top of the search engine results. Now the head lines do not mention convicted sex offender or pedophile. Instead, Philanthrophic work, Epstein Foundation, Promotion of Scientists,” Seckel said in an email dated December 16, 2010.

Epstein was arrested in 2019 for trafficking and abusing underage girls in the US and abroad. He unalived himself in jail later that year while waiting for trial.

At the sidelines of Stratbase’s cybersecurity forum in Makati City, DICT Undersecretary for Cybersecurity Julius Gorospe said the agency is working on a “technical attribution program” in a bid to quell malicious activities in the country’s digital space.

“So, it's a capability that we are building in the DICT so that when we need to figure out what [cybercrime] is being committed and who commits it… we have the capability to fully find out,” Gorospe said.

“We are actually being helped by a lot of our foreign partners in building that capability. I think by the end of the year, it's something that we will already have. We will get to start in that area,” the DICT official said. —AOL, GMA Integrated News