MANILA – The Department of Justice (DOJ) is currently dealing with more than a dozen complaints involving unfair debt collection practices and cyber harassment committed by online lending companies (OLCs).
The agency, through its Office of Cybercrime (OOC), encourages more victims to come out.
"So far, we have received 15 complaints against online lending companies that were endorsed to us by the Presidential Management Staff," DOJ Undersecretary Emmeline Villar said through text message on Thursday.
OLC harassment may also be reported to the National Bureau of Investigation - Cybercrime Division, Philippine National Police - Anti-Cybercrime Group, National Privacy Commission, or the Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC), if acts are committed by lending or financing companies.
“The acts would qualify as unfair debt collection practices and cyber harassment, and the corresponding violations’ victims may file before the appropriate government agencies,” the DOJ said in previous statements.
These acts include accessing the debtors’ phone book/contacts list for purposes of sending them messages in the event of untimely and/or non-payment; posting the debtors’ personal and sensitive personal information online for purposes of shaming them; threatening debtors with death and physical injuries if they fail to settle their account balances; and using profane language through a text message directly sent to the debtors and to the debtors’ references for purposes of shaming them.
The said acts, the DOJ said, are violations of Republic Act (RA) No. 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, particularly illegal access and cyber libel; RA 10173, or the Data Privacy Act of 2012, punishing the Unauthorized Processing of Personal Information and Sensitive Personal Information, Processing of Personal Information and Sensitive Personal Information for Unauthorized Purposes, and Malicious Disclosure; the Revised Penal Code provisions on grave or light threats, grave or light coercions, or unjust vexation; and SEC Memorandum Circular No. 18, or the Prohibition on Unfair Debt Collection Practices of Financing Companies and Lending Companies. (PNA)
