Investigators can now access cyber info without court order

Director General Samuel Pagdilao (Matikas Santos/INQUIRER.net photo)

MANILA, Philippines—The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) can access internet traffic data even without a court order under the new anti-cybercrime law, Director General Samuel Pagdilao, CIDG Chief, said Tuesday.

But the CIDG access will be limited to the origin, destination, size and time of the data, Pagbilao told reporters in a forum as he allayed fears that the law would be used to violate people’s privacy and curtail freedom of speech.

He said the information to be accessed by law enforcers should only be related to a crime being investigated.

They cannot pry into the contents of the data, Pagdilao said. He said that internet service providers may be able to keep data for as long as six months with possible extension of another six months if the investigation is still ongoing.

Robert Reyes, Chief of the Anti-Transnational and Cybercrime Division of the CIDG, said “we work only based on complaints filed. We cannot monitor everyone.”

On the traffic data of calls and texts, Reyes said that they would only look at the specific timeframe when the crime occurred as validated by the victim.

Reyes said that most of the cybercrimes they have recorded so far were identity theft, online scams, child pornography, fraud, and voyeurism.

On the issue of libel being a cybercrime, Pagdilao said, “The same safeguards will come in to ensure that the rights of our people will [not be violated].”

He said the implementing rules and regulations of the anti-cybercrime act have yet to be drafted and this will help guide investigators and law enforcers in the implementation of the new law.