MANILA — The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Wednesday said it was seeking P300 million in confidential funds for next year to fight scams.

The agency did not get confidential funds for surveillance this year, DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy noted.

"Part of the mandate of DICT is to go after these scammers... Maraming paraan na ginagamit itong mga scammers (there use various tactics) in order to avoid detection and to avoid capture or arrest," the official said.

"We need all the resources possible and all the tools possible in order to go after them. So, the confidential fund is essential in order to conduct intel and investigation in order to go after these criminals," he added.

• Despite being top BPO player, PH has fewer cybersecurity experts than rivals: study
• Cyberattacks can remain undetected for a month, says expert

Video from RTVM

Watch more News on iWantTFC

Uy said organized syndicates and scammers were "very well-funded, very well-organized and very highly technical."

"Nakatali ang ating mga kamay kung wala po tayong proper tools in order to go after them. And many of these tools and many of these methodologies require confidential funds to do it," he said.

(Our hands are tied if we do not have proper tools to go after them.)

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman earlier said the DICT needed confidential funds for its cyber security projects to protect the procurement process from potential hackers.

"Hindi mo siya puwedeng ilagay po iyong technical specifications ng cyber security projects mo.. E di wala rin, hindi rin po natin maano iyong cyber security project natin and programs," Pangandaman had said.

(We cannot put technical specifications for cyber security projects. Our cyber security project and programs will be useless if these information are published.)

• Marcos admin's intelligence, confidential funds for 2024 grew by P120-M: DBM

Watch more News on iWantTFC