‘If the government did not do it, the more they should make a deeper probe because that
would mean government sites and facilities can be easily hacked.’
WHILE former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. was filing his certificate of candidacy for president last Oct. 6, people in the vicinity of the Sofitel Philippine Plaza hotel which served as the Commission on Elections’ venue received emergency alert messages.
The text messages were endorsements of Bongbong’s candidacy, quoted here for the purpose of accuracy: “Buong Buo ang Malasakit sa Bansa. Buong Buhay ang Maialay sa taong bayan. Bagong Bukas na Masagana para sa masa. Babangon Muli ang Pilipinas (V) BBM sa bansa. BBM sa taong bayan, BBM sa Masa… BBM Pilipinas #BBM2022.”
This campaign activity is called blast texting, using limited-range radio waves intended for a specific tiny area. It is not really illegal, as Comelec spokesman James Jimenez affirmed, but the incident created a ruckus because it was about Bongbong’s candidacy and his critics are most noisy on social media and beyond.
Already, the Bayan Muna party-list has called for an investigation by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
Rep. Carlos Zarate even proposed that aside from the NTC and the DICT, Congress should also probe “this underhanded style of campaigning.” Senatorial candidate Neri Colmenares said “if Marcos indeed hijacked the airwaves to campaign, then their greed to return to Malacañang by hook or by crook should really be stopped.”
Colmenares is personally affected by the incident because he said he authored the law that directs the NTC and other government agencies to send emergency alerts to the public in cases of typhoons, floods, earthquakes and other emergencies.
Zarate and Colmenares, who are intelligent lawmakers, should be reminded that anybody who has money, technology and enough malice in his mind can do text blasting. The Marcos camp can do it, the Leni Robredo camp can do it, even the Makabayan bloc can do it and blame it on Bongbong’s supporters.
Marcos chief-of-staff, lawyer Victor Rodriguez, said such “underhanded moves” should not be tolerated as the emergency alert system is a tool used to warn the public of disasters.
“We hope that the responsible parties do not interfere with government systems just to operate political sabotage against presidential aspirant Bongbong Marcos,” Rodriguez said. He supports the NTC’s investigation on the improper use of the emergency alert system.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) clarified that it did not issue the message for distribution through its telecommunication partners. If the government did not do it, the more they should make a deeper probe because that would mean government sites and facilities can be easily hacked.
