By Priam Nepomuceno
MANILA – The Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) on Thursday said 5,099 persons, some of them former Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) employees, were arrested from January to mid-June this year.
PNP ACG acting director Brig. Gen. Bernard Yang, in an interview with PTV-4’s Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon, said these individuals were arrested for their involvement in various online offenses.
“For 2025, from January to mid-June, we have already arrested 5,099 individuals due to various offenses online, we can call these cybercrime cases,” he said.
Yang said the majority of the arrested suspects are male and jobless, aged 20 to 30.
He said charges have already been filed against the suspects, with 116 having already been convicted by various courts.
Earlier, Yang said 608 of the suspects were nabbed during entrapment operations, and seven of those arrested were foreigners.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., in his State of the Nation Address last year, ordered a total ban on all POGOs following its involvement in various criminal activities.
Yang said the PNP ACG is looking into a recent “deepfake” of the Chief Executive, showing the latter promoting an online trading platform.
He added they had already coordinated with Facebook for the “preservation of the data” which is needed for their investigation.
Yang said they also requested that the video be taken down.
Chinese national nabbed
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police High Patrol Group (PNP HPG) announced that it has arrested a Chinese national while in the act of selling a carnapped Ford Ecosport utility vehicle during operations in Paco, Manila, Wednesday night.
PNP HPG spokesperson Lt. Nadame Malang did not identify the 32-year-old suspect who is also suspected of supplying illegal narcotics to his compatriots in Metro Manila.
She added the suspect was apprehended during an entrapment operation along General Luna Street in Paco at around 8:35 p.m.
The arrest was made possible through the information provided by the vehicle’s supposed buyer, whom the suspect offered the vehicle for only PHP180,000.
Upon verification, the PNP HPG confirmed that the vehicle was stolen, leading to the entrapment operation.
However, the police did not identify the car’s owner and how it was stolen.
Subsequent search of the suspect’s Mercedes Benz led to the recovery of 45 sachets of “ecstasy”, seven sachets of shabu, seven vape cartridges of marijuana, and a sachet of cocaine.
Also recovered were a .25 caliber Colt pistol with five bullets and eight 9mm rounds. (with reports from Lloyd Caliwan/PNA)
