Cybercrime agency seeks P900-M budget for 2026

The government's lead agency for cybercrime response is seeking nearly P900 million in funding for 2026 to scale up its assets and manpower as threats become more prevalent online.

- By Elijah Felice Rosales

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) has been allocated P480 million in funding in the proposed national budget for 2026.

However, CICC deputy executive director Renato Paraiso told The STAR that the agency would require double that amount to fund its expansion of resources for cybercrime response.

In particular, Paraiso said CICC may ask for P400 million more for the procurement of new detection tools needed by its threat monitoring system.

Further, the agency aims to strengthen the capabilities of its Hotline 1326 given the proliferation of digital scams.