THE DEPARTMENT of Justice (DoJ) on Thursday issued an order directing the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to look into the alleged hacking of several teachers’ state-owned Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) accounts.

The DoJ released Order No. 012 dated Tuesday, which directed the NBI to probe and build a case on the alleged phishing of bank accounts.

The NBI is instructed to file the appropriate charges against those found responsible “if evidence warrants.”

NBI Officer-In-Charge (OIC) Eric B. Distor is also ordered to submit reports on the probe’s progress to the DoJ within 30 days.

Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra earlier told reporters on Viber that he was to issue a separate directive to the NBI regarding the compromised personal information.

Benjo Basas, who heads the Teacher’s Dignity Coalition, earlier told Radyo 5 that teachers lost as much as P121,000 from their accounts with state-owned LANDBANK.

LANDBANK on Monday said in a statement that their systems were not hacked and are secure. The lender added that the teachers’ accounts were hacked by phishing and that they are resolving these cases.

Mr. Basas on Wednesday said by telephone that LANDBANK should not blame the teachers, but tighten the security of its online services. — J.V.D. Ordoñez

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