The Philippine government previously arrested 17 Chinese citizens in Iloilo City, who have opted to seek lighter sentences through plea bargaining. They were charged with operating an online scam hub in violation of Republic Act No. 10175, the “Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012”.
Alexander Ramos, the Executive Director of the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center, stated that the court will ultimately decide whether to approve the plea bargaining. He added that the judge will consider the severity of the crime, any aggravating or mitigating circumstances, and the willingness of both parties to negotiate.
The official noted that the arrest was achieved through a “whole-of-government approach” that proved effective in targeting organized cybercrime.
After more than a month of surveillance, the authorities applied for a search warrant from the Iloilo City court and conducted an operation in a house in Jaro district, Iloilo City with cooperation from multiple departments. The authorities confiscated 24 computers, 49 mobile phones, two switch hubs, two routers, four boxes of SIM cards, and various other devices.
