Eight out of every 10 NBI complaints have a 'cyber component'

As many as eight in every 10 complaints reaching the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) now have a cyber component, underscoring how crimes are increasingly migrating online, its chief told senators Wednesday.

NBI Director Melvin Matibag made the disclosure during the Senate hearing on the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) proposed 2027 budget, as lawmakers questioned funding reductions for agencies and programs tasked to combat cybercrime.

“On the average, we're about getting 7 to 8 cases po out of 10 sa NBI po (at the NBI). Kung hindi man po sa directly related, yung mga crimes po na ginawa, related po sa cyber (that are either directly related or connected to cybercrime),” Matibag said.

He said the cases go beyond cyberlibel and increasingly involve cyberfraud, scams, and other crimes where digital platforms form part of the operation.

Matibag said criminal networks have also become more sophisticated, with some operators displaced by the ban on Philippine offshore gaming operators shifting into scam hubs and cryptocurrency-related activities.

“It's sad to say na yung pong ating mga criminals ngayon, medyo mas nagiging advanced pa (that criminals today are becoming more advanced),” he said.

The growing cyber workload comes as the NBI faces a lower proposed budget of about PHP3.03 billion for 2027, down 22.34 percent from PHP3.9 billion this year.

The bureau's capital outlay would take an even steeper reduction, from PHP1.159 billion to PHP121 million, or nearly 90 percent, based on the DOJ budget presentation.

At the DOJ Office of the Secretary, funding for anti-cybercrime enforcement is also proposed to fall from PHP119 million to PHP34 million, a 71.43 percent decrease.

Matibag said the NBI wants to acquire additional tools and equipment to keep pace with cybercriminals, including capabilities needed to monitor activities in the deep and dark web.

He said NBI operations have also climbed from an average of about 110 a month last year to 200 to 220 monthly since around April, with surveillance, information gathering, and other operational requirements adding to expenses.

Official NBI reports this year have also documented operations involving computer-related fraud, identity theft and online scam networks, including cases linked to pre-registered SIM cards and former POGO-related operators.

-Philippine News Agency