AFP’s first female spokesperson is also an ‘ethical’ hacker

Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla | PHOTO: Screengrab from Philippine Army’s official facebook page

MANILA, Philippines — The first ever female spokesperson of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) wears many hats, including a white one.

A ‘white hat hacker’ refers to a person who use his/her hacking skills to identify security vulnerabilities, and spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla is one.

Padilla currently serves as a commissioned officer in Philippine Army’s Signal Corps, overseeing command, control, communications and cyber systems of the military.

She has also taken other roles in technology-driven capabilities like serving as the Information Systems Officer in a COVID-19 pandemic task force.

According to AFP, Padilla spearheaded innovations and modernization projects during her stay in the Signal Corps.

She vowed to bring this kind of expertise during her stint as spokeswoman.

“My background in cybersecurity would really help also in the out-of-the-box things we’re gonna be doing,” Padilla said in a press conference on Monday.

Her achievements in the cyber domain garnered international recognition.

Padilla was honored as Global Cybersecurity Woman Leader of the Year by US-based United Cybersecurity Alliance.

To get this award, she surpassed the record of nominees from 62 countries.

In 2021, she was also acknowledged as one of the Top 30 Women in Security of Asean by Women in Security & Resilience Alliance.

Padilla is a member of Philippine Military Academy ‘Sanghaya’ Class of 2000.

She will begin her new role as AFP spokesperson on Tuesday, succeeding Colonel Medel Aguilar.