• RICHARD T. CABALLERO JR.
A total of 50 police investigators across the province had completed the course on Introduction to Cybercrime Investigation facilitated by the Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office, which culminated on July 31 at Kanlaon Hall, Camp Alfredo Montelibano Sr., Barangay Estefania in Bacolod City.
A 15-day seminar was conducted aiming to equip PNP personnel with enough knowledge and skills in investigating any forms of crimes happening in cyber spaces and to enhance the province’s capacity to combat crimes happening in the digital landscape.
NOCPPO Information Officer Police Captain Judesses Catalogo said that the purpose of the course was for the personnel to act accordingly and effectively when such cases occur in the province.
“Our cyber spaces are elevating and developing, and because of that most of the crime happens in cyberspace…We need to equip our police on the ground with skills to address the evolving nature of crime happening in cyberspace,” Catalogo highlighted.
Among the cases in the province that the Anti-Cyber Crime Unit of the NOCPPO is facing are fraud and scams such as romance scams, winner scams, baiting, and identity theft.
Aside from the 50 investigators who completed the course, other participants from various government agencies took part during the series of seminars.
Negros Occidental Provincial Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson served as the guest speaker during the culmination activity.
In his message, Lacson expressed his confidence that the skills acquired by the investigators during the seminar could lead to more effective cybercrime case investigations and in enforcing the law, even in digital society.
All the budget and resources utilized during the 15-day course were funded by the provincial government, Catalogo disclosed.*
