Manny Pacquiao

Pacquiao calls for probe into Comelec hacking

January 12, 2022 Marlon Purification 370 views

PROMDI presidential aspirant Senator Manny Pacquiao called on the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation to immediately conduct a probe on the alleged Comelechacking.

Pacquiao said: “Congress should exercise its oversight powers in relation to Republic Act 8436 or the Automated Election Law.”

Pacquiao added that the probe should include the level of security that Comelec uses to secure its network as he noted that this is not the first time that hackers managed to break into the poll body’s computer system.

On March 27, 2016, a group calling themselves “Anonymous Philippines ”hacked into the website of the COMELEC and defaced it and even left a message calling for tighter security measures on the vote counting machines (VCM).

Before that, another group called LulSecPilipinas also managed to hack Comelec’s computer system and stole close to 55 million voters’ registration information.

“This is not the first time that the Comelec has been hacked and this shows very serious security flaws on the poll body’s computer system. Hindi na ito dapat palampasin at kailangang magpaliwanag ang Comelec kung ano ang totoong pangyayari at kung ano ang epekto nito sa darating na halalan,” Pacquiao’s said.

While the Commission on Elections and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) are still investigating the veracity of claims that the Comelec’s servers were hacked, all stakeholders must make sure that the integrity of the May 9 polls will not be compromised.

Meanwhile, Partido Reporma chairman and standard-bearer Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson stressed the elections are the strongest and clearest manifestation of democracy in the Philippines where the people’s will is supreme.

He said the first step for those investigating the supposed hack, including his camp’s cybersecurity team, is to await the authors of the report of the alleged hacking to substantiate their claims.

This will facilitate the investigation in establishing the identities of the supposed hackers and their motive.

Drawing from his training as an investigator guided by the three factors in solving a crime – motive, opportunity and means or weapon – Lacson said he instructed his cyber-security team to also determine the extent of the risk to the integrity of the elections.

“Ayaw natin paniwalaan ‘yan pero in the realm of possibilities dapat lahat matingnan natin,” Lacson said.

Lacson added the Senate and House of Representatives can exercise their joint oversight powers to look into the incident, if needed.