Passport data breach a threat to national security- PNP chief

MANILA, Philippines – The passport data breach could pose a threat to national security after a previously outsourced passport maker took all the passport applicants’ data, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said on Monday.

“[It’s] not only a threat to national security but also on our identities. Napakaraming Pilipino na kumuha ng passport na andun lahat ang information,” he said in a press conference. “That is one threat. Totoo ‘yung it can be a threat to national security.”

(It’s not only a threat to national security but also on our identities. There are a lot of Filipinos who applied for a passport which bears their personal information. It can be a threat to national security.)

Albayalde said the Department of Foreign Affairs has yet to coordinate with the police on what measures need to be implemented regarding the data breach.

He, however, assured that concerned departments of the PNP are willing to extend assistance to the DFA.

“We have the ACG (Anti-Cybercrime Group), the ITMS (Information Technology Management Service) and DICTM (Directorate for Information and Communications Technology Management) na pwedeng tumulong and of course yung ating CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) kung kinakailangan talaga magkaroon ng active police operations,” Albayalde said.

(We have the ACG, the ITMS and the DICTM that can help and of course our CIDG if active police operations will be required./gsg