ILOILO CITY — The 17 Chinese national authorities arrested in a suspected cyber scam den in Iloilo City in November 2023 have applied for a plea bargain deal.
In exchange, they request a lower sentence during court proceedings.
On November 4, 2023, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) and the Iloilo City Police arrested these Chinese nationals in a joint operation.
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They located the cybercrime den in Barangay Lawa-an in Jaro District. Later, the Iloilo City Regional Trial Court Branch 39 issued a search warrant, allowing authorities to conduct a raid.
As a result, they arrested the 17 Chinese nationals and seized the following paraphernalia:
- 24 computers
- 49 cellular phones
- Two TP-Link switch hubs with 24 ports
- Two routers
- One projector
- One monitor
- A modem
- One bundle
- Four boxes of SIM cards
These individuals are facing charges in violation of Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevent Act of 2012.
CICC Executive Director Alexander K. Ramos emphasized that the court has the final say in approving plea bargains.
“Plea bargaining is a legal process where the accused and the prosecution negotiate for a lesser penalty or a lesser offense in exchange for a guilty plea,” he explained.
Factors like the crime’s severity, the presence of aggravating or mitigating circumstances, and the willingness of both parties to negotiate can influence the plea bargain.
Moreover, Ramos emphasized the effectiveness of the Whole-of-Government Approach in ending organized online crimes.
The UN Office for Sustainable Development explains it involves the “cooperation and coordination among different parts of government.”
“The Whole-of-Government approach emphasizes the need for greater collaboration and coordination across departmental boundaries to eliminate duplication, optimize resources, and create synergies among agencies which we need to do now if we want to fight cybercrime,” he explained.