Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program

Grant

Law and Human Rights

Host Institution

American University

Catherine Tamayo-Cipriano is a Police Lieutenant Colonel and member of the Philippine Bar with over 24 years of service in the Philippine National Police, including more than 13 years as a Legal Officer specializing in cybercrime, trafficking in persons (TIP), online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC), gender-based violence (GBV), and the protection of vulnerable sectors. She served as Chief of the Philippine Transnational Criminal Investigation Task Force (TCITF) from 2020 to 2023 and again from 2025 to the present, working with U.S. Homeland security Investigations (Manila) to combat transnational OSAEC and trafficking networks. Their joint operations contributed to the rescue of more than 200 children and the arrest of over 30 perpetrators.

She also helped develop investigative protocols and operational guidance used by more than 6,000 Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD) officers nationwide. A frequent lecturer and resource person, she supports capacity-building programs on cybercrime investigations, trafficking in persons, and child protection. Her work focuses on digital evidence management, financial investigations, cyber warrant applications, and intelligence-driven operations. She remains committed to advancing technology-enabled policing, institutional reform, and cross-border collaboration to combat online exploitation and protect vulnerable sectors.