Palace: ‘Unfair’ to link gov’t agencies to cyberattacks pending probe

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Thursday said pending investigation, it is “unfair” to link government agencies to cyberattacks against websites of two alternative media outlets and a human rights group.

Qurium Media Foundation, a digital forensic group based in Sweden, traced the recent cyberattacks on the websites of media outlets Bulatlat and Altermidya and rights group Karapatan to the computer networks of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Philippine Army. The cyberattacks temporarily blocked access to the three websites.

“It is a crime po to launch a cyberattack pursuant to the cybercrime act. It will be investigated and I will reiterate that it is unfair to link government offices to the cyberattacks pending investigation,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press briefing.

(It is a crime to launch a cyberattack pursuant to the cybercrime act. It will be investigated and I will reiterate that it is unfair to link government offices to the cyberattacks pending investigation.)

The DOST has denied its involvement in the cyberattacks calling it “unfounded and patently false.”

The Philippine Army meanwhile said it respects the freedom of expression and “will never infringe” that freedom.

“We take these accusations of cyberattack seriously and we will not condone or tolerate it if such occurred against media entities. Rest assured we are servants of the people and protector of freedom of expression,” Army spokesperson Col. Ramon Zagala said.

/MUF