NBI computer crimes unit seeks regular budget

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) appealed yesterday for a higher budget for 2006 from the national government to enhance its capability to combat computer-related crimes.

NBI Anti-Fraud and Computer Crimes Division (AFCCD) chief Efren Meneses Jr. revealed that their office has not been given regular funds since its creation in 1997.

The unit is still depending on American donors for its operations.

"We don’t have enough equipment. We cannot continue to beg," Meneses lamented. "We need to enhance our division which is vital in responding to dangerous crimes that could affect government operations."

The NBI official stressed that the AFCCD needs a regular budget from the government to purchase additional software and hardware as well as finance training and specialization of its agents.

"Government agencies are using different computer programs and we have to familiarize ourselves with all of those. We have to update our programs regularly. We need to be at par with computer criminals to be able to combat them," he explained.

Meneses added that it is necessary for the bureau to send AFCCD agents to top schools for a specialization course, which costs P100,000 per person.

He made this appeal to Rep. Junie Cua, co-chairman of the of House oversight committee on the e-Commerce Law.

Cua went to the bureau yesterday to meet with NBI officials.