The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) and the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) have officially entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) aimed at intensifying government efforts to combat illegal online gambling and unauthorized sports streaming.
Anchored on the national policy to strengthen information and communication systems in nation-building and to combat cyber offenses, the partnership seeks to leverage both agencies’ mandates and technical capabilities.
Representing the GAB were Atty. Francisco Rivera, Chairman; and Atty. Manuel Plaza III, Commissioner, while the CICC were represented by Atty. Renato Paraiso, acting Executive Director; and Rojun Hosillios, Director of the Cybercrime Investigation Office.
“We look at the CICC as our perfect partner for us to accomplish this task. With CICC, we now anticipate that we would be in a better position to detect, monitor, and block illegal gaming sites,” Rivera said.
Paraiso, on the other hand, emphasized that the collaboration marks a decisive step toward protecting Filipino sports and the public from cyber-enabled gambling threats.
“The aim of this collaboration is to put an end to the scourge of illegal online betting.”
“The aim of this collaboration is to put an end to the scourge of illegal online betting,” he said.
Under the agreement, the CICC will deploy its digital forensics expertise to assist GAB in detecting, monitoring, and blocking illegal online bookie joints and other unauthorized gambling operations in professional sports and amusement games.
The CICC will likewise support GAB in conducting analytic research, digital surveillance, case build-up, and legal actions against individuals and entities facilitating illegal gambling or streaming.
GAB, through its Anti-Illegal Gambling Unit (AIGU), will coordinate operational information and share relevant intelligence on illegal online gambling schemes.
“Our shared goal is attribution, prosecution, and conviction — and this partnership brings us closer to that.”
“Through coordinated investigation, we can identify personalities, trace criminal syndicates. Our shared goal is attribution, prosecution, and conviction — and this partnership brings us closer to that,” Paraiso stressed.
Rivera expressed confidence that the partnership would significantly enhance GAB’s enforcement capability.
This partnership underscores the government’s unified stand against cyber-enabled gambling, ensuring that professional sports remain protected and that digital spaces are free from criminal exploitation.
