Online lending client gets visit from funeral staff

At least 50 more clients of online lending firms filed complaints before the Philippine National Police for getting harassed and shamed by their agents.

According to Jun Veneracion's report on "24 Oras," one of the clients, Cherry, had to move to another place after a staff of a funeral home visited her.

“‘Pag labas ko sabi nila kukunin namin bangkay ni Cherry. D’yan ba si Cherry? Ganon. Funeral service po sila na L300 sabi po nila may dala silang kabaong,” she said.

'Aniel,' another client, said he's been struggling with harassment and cyberbullying from online lenders.

He is indebted with P60,000 in 15 online lending applications. He said purported employees of the lending firms have been spreading word that he is a drug lord.

The lenders also tried to disturb the employer of an overseas Filipino worker ‘Pola,” in Singapore, which prompted her to leave her job.

“‘Yung amo ko po kinontak nila tinawagan tini-text, hanggang kinausap ko po ang amo na uuwi na lang po ako para i-settle ko po ang utang ko. Buti mabait po ang amo ko pinayagan akong umuwi," she said.

The PNP then said the victims could charge the persons harassing them with libel, grave threat, and coercion in relation to the Anti-Cybercrime Law. 

"Contacting the debtor's list or contact list is already a violation, if they are no longer or they are not a part of the guarantor's list, then it will also constitute a violation of FCBA," said Department of Justice Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano.

Based on the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group's (ACG) investigation, the operators of online lending applications are connected, and several financiers are Chinese nationals who operate and run their illegal businesses outside the Philippines.

“‘Yung mga nahuhuli nating Pinoy dito ay parang mga supervisors lang sila mga caretaker lang sila ng business dito hindi sila ang actual boss,” said PNP ACG deputy director for administration Police Colonel Armel Gongona.

He acknowledged that identifying those involved in the abusive collection practice is a big challenge. He also advised the public to be aware of the transactions they get into when borrowing money.

“’Wala pong magiging case kung wala pong magpapaloko,” he added.—Sherylin Untalan/LDF, GMA Integrated News