The increasing rise in cybercrime and other common crimes in the Philippines has deeply alarmed Senator Bong Go. 7.2 percent of families reported being victims of cybercrimes, a considerable increase from 3.7 percent in June, according to a new Social Weather Stations (SWS) poll performed from September 14 to 23 and published on November 9.
Cybercrime increased across the country, with Metro Manila seeing the biggest increase, going from 3 percent to 12.3 percent. Go stressed that in order to protect Filipinos from online threats, the nation’s cybersecurity safeguards urgently need to be strengthened, as evidenced by this sharp increase.
He called on government agencies to prioritize cybersecurity and ensure continuous protection for citizens against cybercriminals. The survey also showed an increase in common crimes, such as pickpocketing, break-ins, and car theft, affecting 6.1 percent of families compared to 3.8 percent in June.
Senator Go is a co-author of the Internet Transactions Act (Republic Act 11967), which sets guidelines for e-commerce platforms, online sellers, and customers to secure online transactions. Additionally, he co-authored the SIM Registration Law (RA 11934) to require SIM card registration, aimed at reducing mobile-related crimes like text scams.