DSWD officer-in-charge Edu Punay. (Photo: Jean Mangaluz/INQUIRER.net)
MANILA, Philippines — The Facebook page of the National Capital Region (NCR) office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) was hacked, with videos not associated with the agency being posted.
DSWD officer-in-charge Edu Punay said the hacking happened after a fake news about a DSWD cash assistance sent thousands to flock the DSWD-NCR office earlier this week.
“Actually yesterday or last night, yung Facebook account ng ating NCR was hacked,” added Punay in a press conference on Saturday.
(Actually yesterday or last night, the Facebook account of our NCR office was hacked).
Punay said the DSWD is still trying to recover access of its social media page. Punay added that the DSWD has tapped the assistance of the National Bureau of Investigation.
Punay added that the DSWD is also investigating how the fake news about the cash assistance spread.
“What happened there, based on our initial investigation, may kumalat po ng text messages, doon sa tapat ng Quezon City, may payout daw, sa may NCR office namin. Mayroon din nakita na fake Facebook accounts na nagpost nang may payout nga, so dinagsa po kami doon sa NCR, tulad ng pagdagsa sa atin ng nakaraang taon,” said Punay.
(What happened there, based on our initial investigation, text messages circulated that in front of Quezon City. That there was a payout in our NCR office. There were also fake Facebook accounts claiming that there was a payout. That is why people went to our NCR office, just like what happened last year).
Punay was referring to an incident in August 2022, where people swarmed DSWD offices for cash assistance for indigent students.
READ: Large crowd swarms DSWD central office for distribution of educational aid
The large crowds came during the office’s regular application for the sustainable livelihood program (SLP), explained Punay. However, the SLP applications are a lengthy process that require assessment, interviews, and even house visits from social workers.
Punay said those that gathered at the DSWD-NCR office were given forms as a quick response, as the DSWD-NCR office could not handle the sudden influx of people.
Punay urged the public to only follow legitimate information sources, such as the DSWD’s verified Facebook page and official news outlets.