Manila: Operatives of the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) arrested 136 persons for cybercrimes in March, a police official said Tuesday. In a statement, PNP-ACG Director Brig. Gen. Bernard Yang highlighted the unit's intensified efforts in combating cybercrime, resulting in a 3.7 times increase in arrests in March 2025 compared to the same month last year, which saw 37 arrests.
According to Philippine News Agency, the anti-cybercrime agents also rescued 19 victims in 122 operations conducted last month. The top five laws most commonly violated include Republic Act (RA) 11934 or SIM Registration Act, RA 12010 (Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act or AFASA), RA 9995 (Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act), RA 9175 (Chain Saw Act), and Article 286 (Grave Coercion) of the Revised Penal Code, all related to Section 6 of RA 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012).
In connection with the sale of registered Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards, authorities apprehended 30 individuals and seized 782 registered SIM cards, 116 of which were linked to e-wallet accounts. Yang stated that last month's crackdown also highlights the ACG's efforts to combat the illegal online sale of text-blast machines and signal jammers, with police arresting 13 individuals and seizing 25 devices.
The operations align with PNP Chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil's directive to intensify cybercrime investigation and promote a safer digital environment for all. Yang urged the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious online transactions to authorities to prevent cyber-enabled crimes.
