THE National Privacy Commission (NPC) and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) partnered to prevent data breaches and cybercrimes through the use of information and communication technology (ICT).
The NPC said in a statement that it signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the CICC on Dec. 9 to “counter the use of ICTs for criminal and unauthorized purposes; and to foster interagency cooperation and resource sharing towards prevention, suppression, and prosecution of cybercrimes and data privacy breaches.”
According to the NPC, the agreement allows “effective joint action” in data protection and the enforcement of cybercrime and data privacy laws. It also grants NPC access to resources, technical expertise, and institutional and international linkages of the National Cybercrime Hub (NCH).
Privacy Commissioner John Henry D. Naga said the MoA “is the culmination of our agencies’ mutual ambition to further protect the integrity of the Philippines’ digital transformation journey.”
“The NPC is committed to work with CICC to ensure the safe and secure integration of digital services and processes into all areas of organizations and businesses,” he added.
Meanwhile, the NPC said that it would participate in NCH activities as part of the MoA’s compliance with Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act.
Established by the CICC, the NCH aims to build a network that gathers law enforcement and government agencies, academe, industry experts, and international law enforcement and government partners for more effective inter-agency and stakeholder coordination, and resource sharing to prevent cybercrimes.
“Data privacy lawyers from the NPC will be assigned in the NCH to provide inputs to ensure compliance with the Data Privacy Act,” the NPC said, adding that it will allow resource sharing to accomplish the objectives and scope of the MoA. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave