THE Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) has given influencers and content creators until July 11 to cease promoting illegal online gambling.
Those who fail to comply will receive a “notice to explain” starting July 14 and face potential legal action.
The CICC has identified 20 major influencers involved in promoting illegal online gambling and will prioritize their investigation.
The agency has also coordinated with social media platforms, which have agreed to remove accounts violating the directive, potentially without prior notice.
The Digital Pinoys group has joined the call, highlighting the links between illegal online gambling and other cybercrimes such as phishing, e-wallet scams, and non-payment of winnings (a form of estafa).
The Philippine National Police (PNP) will assist in speeding up investigations and arrests.
The CICC has also urged the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to investigate the income declarations of these influencers. Meanwhile, several bills aimed at regulating or banning online gambling are currently under consideration in Congress.
The public is encouraged to report violations through the CICC hotline (136) or via their official social media accounts.
