Senator Joel Villanueva has urged the public to stay vigilant against rising online love scams while calling on tech experts—and even scammers—to use their skills for positive purposes.
The Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) reported eight online love scam cases as of January 2025, with 72 cases last year.
“Technology should be used to improve our lives, not make us suffer. Let’s put AI to good use!” said Villanueva.
A vocal critic of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, Villanueva warned of their growing ties to online scams.
“”This is exactly what we’ve been warning about from the beginning. These operations are evolving, but they still originate from the same sources,” he added.
He urged the PNP-ACG to intensify its crackdown on love scams and prioritize public education to help people identify and avoid them.
As chair of the Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resources Development, Villanueva advocates responsible AI development. Last year, he filed Senate Resolution No. 990 to assess the Philippine labor market’s readiness for AI integration.IMT
