Sentry of the Cyberspace during Covid-19 Pandemic: Experiences of Philippine National Police Cyber Cops

This study aimed to explore the life experiences of cyber cops as sentries in cyberspace during the COVID-19 pandemic in RACU 7. Specifically, this sought to answer the following specific problems: experiences of the informants as cyber cops during the COVID-19 pandemic, coping with the challenges they encountered, and how they tried to solve the situation and aspirations of the informants to improve quality service. The phenomenological and qualitative approach in this study was utilized through interviews as the critical process in gathering data. There were ten (10) selected police officers with a cyber cop badge. They were chosen randomly, but they met the minimum qualifications. The research location is at Cebu PPO Compound, Cebu City, where RACU 7 holds the office. A validated interview guide aided by the voice recorder to transcribe the informants' responses was used. Utilization of Colaizzi's method, a phenomenological analysis procedure, was used to analyze the responses of the informants during the interview. Results revealed that in the informants' experiences as cyber cops during the COVID-19 pandemic, the themes generated were Performing Duties Amidst the Pandemic, Maintaining a Good Image, and Encountering Insufficiency of Personnel and Supplies. In coping with the challenges encountered and how they try to solve the situation, the following themes were created: Expanding Cyber Cops Strategies and Having the Cyber Cops Initiative. For the aspirations of the informants, themes identified were the adaptation of advanced technology and the expansion of organizational support. It was recommended that PNP-ACG design a program that would address issues in times of crisis like the pandemic and extend services prospective complainants could easily access. Moreover, the PNP organization should produce more well-trained cyber cops.