THE Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) reported that it arrested more than 5,000 individuals for committing various online crimes since the start of the year.
PNP-ACG Director Brigadier General Bernard Yang told PTV-4’s Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon that 5,099 persons have been apprehended for cybercrimes from January to mid-June 2025.
He said that most of the arrested individuals were unemployed Gen Zs and millennials.
“Kung titingnan po natin ‘yung ating datos, karamihan po ay kalalakihan, mga walang trabaho, at edad 20 hanggang 30, ‘yung ating arrested suspects dito sa different online scam cases na ating naitala sa ating tanggapan” Yang shared.
Yang revealed that some of the arrested individuals previously worked for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) who regrouped to conduct online scams after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. banned all POGOs in the country.
“Mostly ay mga dating nagtrabaho, ‘yung iba dating security guard, ‘yung iba former employee of POGOs na sa ngayon, dahil nag-stop ‘yung POGO operation sa Pilipinas, ay nagsagawa sila ng kani-kanilang raket at sila ay bumuo ng isang grupo para muling magsagawa ng online scams,” he said.
Charges have been filed against all the arrested individuals, and 116 of them have been found guilty of cybercrimes.
Yang said the PNP-ACG has recommendations to strengthen existing Philippine laws such as SIM Registration Act to curb the spread of cybercrimes.
“For the SIM Registration Act, we recommend na sana hindi marami iyong i-register ng isang tao. Marami na po siguro ‘yung sampu man lang, at least mayroon lang limit na sampu. Hindi iyong isang daan kaya niyang i-register right now,” Yang said.
“‘Yung Cybercrime Prevention Act, lalo na ‘yung sa social media platforms, ‘yun ang nire-recommend namin na sana magkaroon ng regulation at magkaroon sila ng physical offices here in the Philippines so that mayroon tayong jurisdiction,” he added.
Cybercrimes have become prevalent in the Philippines, with some now using artificial intelligence (AI) to generate content to scam their victims.
Marcos became the latest subject of an AI-generated video, which reportedly promoted an online trading platform. Other celebrities, such as singer and actor Ronnie Liang, have also been used by AI to extort money from others.
The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) previously said it is tracking down those who use AI for scams and spreading false information.
