Photo courtesy of Office of the Chief PNP/Facebook.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) is stepping up action against online lending applications accused of harassing borrowers and violating data privacy.
PNP Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) to investigate companies allegedly involved in such practices.
“We documented cases of manipulated photos to humiliate and scare their borrowers. This is not acceptable, and this kind of wrongdoing clearly needs police action,” Nartatez said in a statement on Tuesday.
The crackdown follows reports from the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) that it received more than 47,400 complaints against online lending apps between August 2024 and January 2026.
According to the PNP chief, victims reported receiving threatening messages, being publicly shamed by lenders, and having their contact lists accessed without consent.
“The operation of a business must not include harassing and humiliating people. Only thugs and criminal syndicates do that,” Nartatez emphasized.
He said the PNP-ACG has coordinated with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the National Privacy Commission (NPC) to identify and hold accountable companies breaking the law.
Nartatez urged the public to save screenshots, messages, and other evidence and report abusive apps to their nearest police station or the ACG.
