DOF sees jump in cybercrime under new normal

MANILA, Philippines — As more Filipinos resort to online transactions amid the pandemic, the Department of Finance (DOF) said yesterday it expects an increase in illegal activities on the internet.

“With more commercial transactions going through cyberspace, expect a spike in cybercrime,” Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III told reporters.

Still, Dominguez assured the public that government authorities are prepared for this foreseen increase in cybercrime and concerned agencies have beefed up their enforcement capabilities against this type of illegal activities.

“The PNP (Philippine National Police) and DOJ (Department of Justice) have been alerted and have assured me that they have upgraded their capacity to detect, investigate and prosecute cybercriminals,” he said.

The DOF and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) are also doing their part in this area by ensuring that minors would not be able to buy alcohol and cigarette products online.

“We should ban online cigarettes, liquor, e-cigarettes and similar devices, if sellers are not registered and they don’t get profile of buyers and don’t assure if buyer is no longer a minor, and if there’s no standard compliance of those products,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said earlier.

Lopez said the DTI and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) are in discussions to set up a system for online selling platforms.

He said sellers should be able to assure profiling of buyers and product standards.

Meanwhile, the BIR is also starting to tighten its regulation on digital transactions as more Filipinos buy necessities online and subscribe to more digital services.

The BIR started by reminding online sellers to register their businesses with the tax agency until July 31, without penalty.

The agency warned that all individuals or corporations found later on to be doing business without complying with these requirements would be meted with applicable penalties under the law.

The DOF and BIR are also currently working on a framework that will enable the government to collect value-added tax (VAT) from online transactions.

Dominguez had emphasized how crucial it is for the government to set up a tax regime for the digital economy, especially with more transactions shifting online amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Congress, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda who is also House ways and means committee chairman, filed House Bill 6765 or the digital economy taxation bill for the same purpose.