The Philippine National Police (PNP) has urged government agencies to conduct a coordinated and comprehensive review of their online security systems following a series of defacements targeting key legislative websites.
According to a report by RH Edniel Parrosa, PNP Chief Police Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez, Jr. emphasized the need for regular cybersecurity checks as cyber threats continue to evolve.
“This incident serves as a reminder that cybersecurity must remain a top priority for all government agencies,” said Nartatez Jr. in a statement on Sunday.
“We encourage institutions to regularly review their security protocols, update their systems, and strengthen monitoring mechanisms against evolving cyber threats," he added.
The appeal comes after a recent breach involving the website of the House of Representatives, which was defaced just days after a similar incident affected the Senate of the Philippines.
In both cases, hackers reportedly altered the appearance of the websites and left messages criticizing corruption, without indicating deeper system intrusion.
The PNP, through its Anti-Cybercrime Group, is currently coordinating with information technology and cybersecurity personnel of the House of Representatives to investigate the incident.
Authorities are also working to identify those responsible and determine whether criminal charges will be filed.
According to Nartatez, part of the ongoing review includes tracing the source of the cyberattacks and strengthening legal actions against perpetrators.
While initial assessments have not confirmed any leakage of sensitive or confidential data from the House website, officials noted that further investigation is still underway.
Last week, the Senate’s Electronic Data Processing and Management Information System Bureau (EDP-MIS) confirmed that its official website was subjected to unauthorized modifications, commonly known as “website defacement.”
The House website was defaced on Saturday, two days after the Senate’s website was vandalized twice on June 10 and June 11.
Based on its initial assessment, the Senate said there is no indication that any confidential or sensitive information was compromised during the incident. However, the upper chamber also announced that additional security measures are being implemented to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Meanwhile, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) also said it is investigating the incidents in coordination with law enforcement agencies. Initial findings similarly suggest that no sensitive government data were accessed or stolen.
Authorities reiterated that under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, website defacement is a punishable offense, and those responsible will be held accountable.
The DICT reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the country’s critical information infrastructure and said it will release further updates as verified information becomes available from the ongoing investigation.
