Hacker arrested in Dumaguete City

Eduardo Friolanita, 31, a resident of Boloc-boloc, Sibulan, Negros Orienta, has been arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) last May 10, 2016. Friolanita was suspected to have hacked accounts of private individuals through a booking site so he can enter hotels in Dumaguete and elsewhere. He was immediately arrested when a complaint was raised by a personnel from a local hotel in Dumaguete City

Maria Contessa Lastimoso, NBI special investigator III, stated that there was a case that was brought up by a foreigner whose account had been used to make queries and bookings in Dumaguete. Lastimoso said that this is a violation of Republic Act 8484 which refers to an  illegal use of an access device or a credit card.

Drugs found in room of hacker

On one hand, during the arrest, NBI operatives were able to recover gadgets, including a laptop where all transactions were found, including a falsified identification card from his room. There were also illegal drugs paraphernalia, including two improvised tooters, one plastic sachet of suspected shabu, and an empty plastic sachet containing shabu residue.

On the other hand, Friolanita denied the accusations against him. He stated that the acquired voucher he showed at the front desk of the hotel came from a friend after a conversation through Skype and that the account number was given to him; but his ID didn’t match with that of what is written on the voucher.

The hotel clarified that they’re after the payment and they don’t have intentions on filing a case against the suspect.