DOJ starts training prosecutors on handling cybercrime cases

Department of Justice building. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Justice began on Wednesday training Metro Manila prosecutors how to handle cybercrime complaints.

The DOJ-Office of Cybercrime convened at a hotel in Manila the two-day seminar for public prosecutors from various local government units of the National Capital Region.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, in a statement, cited the need to train prosecutors to keep them up to date with the latest technology and enhance their capacity.

“Through this seminar, designated cybercrime prosecutors in conducting investigations on cybercrimes will be trained to handle and analyze electronic and digital evidence, and how to respond to cybercrime incidents,” she said.

Last May 30, the Las Piñas City prosecutor filed the first criminal information for violation of Republic Act No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

The case involved two counts of computerized forgery of a person’s automated teller machine card that was used to withdraw from remittances from a bank.

“We expect that more cases on cybercrime such as this will be filed in our prosecution offices. The DOJ is committed in enabling our investigators and prosecutors to utilize modern technology anchored on electronic evidence,” De Lima said.

Assistant Secretary Geronimo Sy, DOJ-OOC head, said further seminars would be held in the provinces and would include state counsels, technical lawyers and public attorneys.

He added that aside from providing technical and legal framework to combat cybercrime, the DOJ-OCC would develop “a systematic law enforcement that focuses on cyber threats and limitations of traditional policing to solve offenses committed online in line with international best practices.”

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