By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Bacolod City Mayor Evelio “Bing” Leonardia has sought the help of the capital city’s residents in identifying other possible cybersex dens, following a recent raid in Barangay Handumanan.
In a press conference yesterday morning, Leonardia said other locations may still host these operations and the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) should be more vigilant.
“We have to look at this, because chances are the police’s intelligence network may possibly not get this type of information, because the perpetrators themselves are also hiding it,” the mayor stressed.
Leonardia appealed to Bacolodnons to immediately inform the city government or the police should they suspect someone of maintaining a cybersex den. He also said the BCPO should further intensify their intelligence monitoring, adding it is “a wake up call” for them.
Meanwhile, BCPO acting director Police Senior Supt. Jack Wanky agreed with the mayor but admitted his office does not have the capability to monitor cybercrimes.
He explained, following the incident, he has recommended to the Police Regional Office-18 (PRO-18) to form a cybercrime unit for the BCPO.
Wanky also said, once he makes the recommendation, it will be passed on to the national headquarters in Camp Crame, where the higher ups would make the decision.
“We will need IT experts for the new unit, as they are very knowledgeable in detecting these types of crimes in the net,” Wanky added.
Last Friday, BCPO operatives arrested a single mother, who allegedly used her daughter in taping lewd videos and photos that were being sold online.
Wanky said the operation was conducted following the recovery of the lewd videos and photos of the minor from the laptop of a foreign national, who was recently nabbed in the United States./WDJ