In this file photo, some 416 Precinct Count Optical Scanner machines are delivered in Sangguniang Panglungsod in Davao City on April 28, 2016. (Ace R. Morandante/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Poll watchdog Kontra Daya welcomed on Friday the findings of the National Privacy Commission on the liability of Commission on Elections chairman Andres Bautista to the massive data breach of voters’ data last year.
The data breach resulted to the public uploading of voters’ data weeks before the May 9 elections last year. The data included passport information and fingerprint data which the group feared may lead to identity theft.
“If proven guilty, this could be a ground for Bautista’s impeachment, especially considering that the leak was initially reported by TrendMicro on April 6 and the COMELEC at that time failed to disclose the extent of the breach,” said Prof. Danny Arao of Kontra Daya.
He said the dereliction of duty is magnified by the fact that the COMELEC website itself was defaced on March 27. Arao said this puts into question the integrity and security of the commission’s information technology apparatus.
“The officials’ past apologies for what happened are not enough as they should all be accountable for the damage they have done,” he said.
In a television interview on Monday morning, Andres lamented that the government should instead run after the hackers and not on those who were victimized.
“Given the foregoing, should the focus not be on apprehending the hackers instead of punishing the hacked?” he said.
Meanwhile Malacañang said the Comelec should present its investigation on the data leak to maintain its credibility.
“We exhort that Comelec release a report of an investigation it conducted on the data leak, if any, to maintain the credibility of the constitutional body and uphold the integrity of the electoral process,” Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Martin Andanar said in a press statement Friday.
Andanar said the “Comeleak” is described as one of the worst breaches of government’s database. “Thus it is an issue that simply cannot be swept under the rug,” he said.(davaotoday.com)
