The Cebu City Hall. | CDN Digital photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines –The Cebu City government is set to ink a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) to ensure sound cyber risk management and digital governance.
This was after the Cebu City Council, on Wednesday, July 20, authorized Mayor Michael Rama to sign a MOA with ICC Executive Director Cezar Mancao II.
In a statement posted by the City Public Information Office, Councilor Philip Zafra, the Committee head for the City Council’s committee on public order, was quoted saying that the city’s partnership with CICC is “very significant” because of human trafficking activities here.
Last July 13, 2022, local authorities raided a cybersex den in Barangay Luz, rescued seven minors and the arrest a woman, who is believed to be a human trafficker.
“It (the MOA) strengthens our partnership and collaboration to combat the same. This is very timely in the light of the recent operation in Barangay Luz against those involved in cyber pornography,” said Zafra, who is also the author of the resolution granting Rama the authority to enter into MOA with the the government agency that is tasked to ensure cybercrime prevention and suppression among others.
The CICC is an inter-agency body, based in Quezon City, created by the virtue of Republic Act No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
Under the MOA, the city government and the CICC will undertake intelligence, investigations training and capacity building related to cybercrime prevention, suppression, and prosecution.
Moreover, the city and the ICC will share and exchange information relating to cybercrime and other criminal acts, which may arise from false and/or misleading information or content published online or through other virtual or digital means.
The local police, for its part, vowed to also intensify surveillance to check if there are other cybersex dens operating here.
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