MANILA, Philippines — The cyberattack, specifically the defacing of the Senate’s website, is part of a series of “escalating threats” against the institution according to Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin Gatchalian.
Gatchalian in a statement on Thursday called on authorities to check and pursue cases against those responsible for defacing the Senate’s website — an attack claimed by a Filipino hacktivist group identifying as “Nullsec Philippines.”
The Senator, who is acting Senate President, in particular asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) to launch a thorough investigation on the matter.
“This cannot be treated as an isolated incident. The attack on our systems, along with other threats we are facing right now, is a crime. And all criminals have to be held accountable before the law,” Gatchalian said in Filipino.
In a post on its social media page on Wednesday night, Nullsec Philippines said that they defaced the Senate’s website in protest of the issues surrounding the chamber.
“The Filipino people entrusted you with power, responsibility, and the duty to serve the nation—not personal interests, political dynasties, or corrupt networks,” the group claimed.
“Every peso lost to corruption is a meal taken from a family, a classroom left unfinished, and a future denied,” it added. “Accountability is not negotiable. Public office is not a shield from scrutiny.”
READ: ‘Transparency is not optional’: Hacktivists claim Senate website breach
Cybersecurity advocacy group Deep Web Konek flagged the supposed defacement on Thursday morning.
In a statement, the Senate Electronic Data Processing Management Information System (EDP-MIS) confirmed the incident and said security protocols have been implemented to contain the issue, initiate an investigation and prevent similar incidents.
“Based on our initial assessment, there is no indication that any confidential or sensitive information has been compromised. The website primarily contains publicly available documents and informational materials intended for public access,” the EDP-MIS added.
Gatchalian echoed the statement from the EPD-MIS, saying that no legislative files, databases, or sensitive records were compromised. However, the acting Senate President maintained that the attack was a “serious violation of the institution’s integrity.”
“We will not yield to intimidation. We will not stop working for the Filipino people,” he said in Filipino.
“Those who threaten to destroy our democracy through violence should face the full force of the law, and the full strength of an institution that stands for truth, justice, and the country’s freedom,” he added.
Just this Tuesday, Gatchalian said the new Majority bloc has implemented tighter security measures due to information about threats that they received, prompting them to place tighter security measures within the premises of the chamber, like implementing vehicle inspections and security perimeter barriers.
READ: Intel reports cite threats to Senate, says Gatchalian
Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, who is part of the bloc supporting Gatchalian, said that the threat is “very serious,” as per the intelligence report he received.
“Very serious, according to the intel,” Sotto told reporters in a message. “The threat is a clear and present danger; therefore, serious considerations must be taken.”
READ: Senate security threat ‘very serious,’ says Sotto’s intel
Several lawmakers from the House of Representatives have already raised concerns over the security threats, considering that the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is moving forward.
Last May 11, Duterte was impeached for a second time after 257 House lawmakers voted in favor of adopting House Resolution (HR) No. 989 which contains the Articles of Impeachment. Only 25 members voted against it, while nine abstained.
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The approval of the resolution led to the transmittal of the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate, which convened last May 18 as an impeachment court. /jpv
