KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato (PIA) -- The Philippine National Police's Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit (RACU) has warned the public to refrain from sending explicit photos or videos to anyone, citing potential risks.

Police Executive Master Sergeant Edwin Arroyo, chief of the investigation section of the PNP-RACU, emphasized the importance of safeguarding personal privacy and security in the digital age.

Arroyo advised the public, especially women, to be mindful of who they interact with, even someone they believe they trust, emphasizing that engaging in online intimate interactions carries risks, including the potential for exploitation and coercion, and could possibly lead to “sextortion.”

According to him, most sextortions involve women, with perpetrators frequently being ex-lovers who resort to blackmail, leveraging intimate photos or videos in exchange for financial or emotional gain.

“If possible, lalo na sa mga babae, kahit 101 percent niyong mahal ang lalaki, huwag pumayag kapag humingi ng hubad na picture or video. Kasi nga kung mahal ka talaga ng lalaki, ang number 1 na i-preserve niya is ang dignity mo, dapat ‘yan ang isipin natin,” he added.

[To the women, if possible, even if you love the man 101 percent, do not agree when he asks for a nude picture or video. Because if a man really loves you, the number one thing he will preserve is your dignity. That's what we should think about.]

While sending explicit or nude photos or recording intimate behaviors may seem harmless in the heat of the moment, Arroyo pointed out that it is inevitable that there can be negative consequences.

“Sextortion,” Arroyo explained, is a type of blackmail that involves threatening to share obscene photos or videos of the victim if they do not comply with the blackmailer’s demands.

Meanwhile, the police official also emphasized that male victims of online harassment do occur.

He further explained that there are poseurs who impersonate seductive women performing lewd acts, coercing unsuspecting males to engage in explicit behavior, which is then recorded and exploited for blackmail purposes.

Arroyo then reminded the public to protect themselves against all kinds of illegal online activities by being cautious when sharing private information online.

“Do not trust anyone on the internet because it is easy to lie online. Cybercrime awareness is 101 percent very important,” the official emphasized as he urged the public to exercise caution.

Sextortion constitutes the charge of grave threat and, if the extortion is successful, may also be considered a robbery, both punishable under the Revised Penal Code.

Data from PNP-RACU showed that there were a total of 121 sextortion cases in the Philippines in 2023. 

The Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 and the Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009 both allow for the filing of legal charges, Arroyo noted, prodding especially women to report to the police so they can use the full force of the law to punish cyber opportunists and criminals. (ORVR – PIA Region 12)