Mark Villar continues fight against online scammers with new Senate bill
Sen. Mark Villar
Senator Mark Villar filed a bill that aims to establish the country’s scam prevention center, as one of his first 10 priority measures in the 20th Congress. This proposed center intends to be the Philippines’ first one-stop shop for all scam-related inquiries, complaints, and concerns.
Scammers continue to adapt and proliferate as the world rapidly digitalizes. As technology evolves, so do these scammers and hackers with their elaborate schemes.
“In this time when almost everything is digital, we also see that scammers continue to create new ways to deceive people,” the Senator said in Filipino.
READ: Mark Villar files top 10 priority bills for 20th Congress
Since the 19th Congress, Villar has been pushing for laws against scammers, like the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act or AFASA. He deems that protective measures like this must be further improved to make them accessible and responsive to all Filipinos.
“We were successful in the passage of the AFASA in the 19th Congress, and through this bill, we will continue to fight against scammers in order to protect Filipinos from further financial losses,” Senator Villar added.
The said bill intends to establish a Philippine Scam Prevention Center (PSPC) under the umbrella of the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC).
The proposed PSPC shall closely and continuously coordinate with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), National Privacy Commission (NPC), financial institutions, telecommunication companies, online marketplaces, financial technology companies, and operators of online or payment systems, among others.
The PSPC will be the central and primary government agency that shall lead enforcement efforts against digital fraud and online financial scams. It aims for accessibility and rapid response.
It endeavors to establish regional and local offices to expeditiously act on cases around the country. The center will support victims in filing cases against individuals or entities violating the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (RA 12010), or the “AFASA”, and the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 (RA 10175).
Sen. Villar is steadfast in his goal of building a robust and dynamic digital economy and e-commerce environment, while protecting every citizen amidst the rapid technological advancements.
“By establishing an integrated center that will cater to every Filipino victimized by scammers and hackers, the PSPC bill will bolster our goal of building our digital economy while protecting our kababayans’ hard-earned money and savings. I hope that this bill will be realized in the 20th Congress,” Senator Villar added.
