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DICT downplays data compromise

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By Ashley Erika O. Jose, Reporter

THE DEPARTMENT of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Wednesday downplayed the recent data breach involving its own system, but experts raised alarms about the state’s weak cyberdefense.

“The extent of this recent breach, it is not that big,” Information and Communications Technology Assistant Secretary Renato A. Paraiso told a virtual news briefing. “There is very little information that was integrated into that system.”

On Tuesday, DICT said its Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Division (DRRM) portal and systems had been compromised.

The hacked portal was not connected to the agency’s central system, and it has since regained control of the portal, Mr. Paraiso said, adding that it was designed and built with fewer firewalls for easier access.

Ronald B. Gustilo, national campaigner for Digital Pinoys, said the data breach affecting the agency is alarming and could invite more hacking attempts.

“The recent data breach affecting no less than the DICT is alarming, and no excuse from the DICT will be acceptable,” he said in a Viber message. “This is regardless of whether the system is connected to their main system.”

The DICT said the threat actor behind the breach is “ph1ns,” the same hacker who also claimed responsibility for the data breach of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and  Maritime Industry Authority websites.

“This message is another opportunity for DICT and the Philippine government to learn and take cybersecurity seriously,” ph1ns said. “You’re my buddy, DICT. I’ll be back.”

Sam Jacoba, founding president of the National Association of Data Protection Officers of the Philippines, said the Philippines might suffer the same fate as Indonesia, which is now experiencing a government system-wide ransomware attack.

The Indonesian government has ordered an audit of data centers after ransomware cyberattacks on more than 200 public agencies after it refused to pay $8 million, Reuters reported.

“If the government does not hasten the full implementation of the National Cybersecurity Plan,” Mr. Jacoba said. “The attack on the Indonesian government should be more than a wake-up call for the DICT to ask for full support from the President.”

The National Cybersecurity Plan is the country’s blueprint to ensure a safe cyberlandscape. It provides policy direction to ensure a safe cyberspace and digital infrastructure.

“The DICT may consider the attack on its DRRM Division as minor, but big things can start from small incidents,” Mr. Jacoba said. “If they need more cybersecurity personnel, the DICT can ask for assistance from private sector organizations to augment their teams.”

POGOs near EDCA sites being watched

MORE THAN 160 Chinese nationals who worked for POGO Zun Yuan Techonology, Inc. were deported on May 14, 2024. — PRESIDENTIAL ANTI-ORGANIZED CRIME COMMISSION

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter

THE PHILIPPINES’ Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said it is looking into more offshore gaming operations across the country including those that are near key military facilities.

There are 17 Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) in Sta. Ana, Cagayan province in northern Philippines, and all of these are close to two sites under the country’s Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the United States, PAOCC spokesman Winston John Romero Casio said by telephone.

He added that the POGO sites are under the jurisdiction of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) and not the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor).

“Because they are outside the regulatory power of Pagcor, and it’s far from the PAOCC, we do not know what’s happening inside those sites,” he said.

Under an executive order issued by ex-President Rodrigo R. Duterte in 2017, only Pagcor and three investment promotion agencies — CEZA, the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone Free Port Authority and Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan can give a license to online gambling operations.

Other provinces with EDCA sites such as Cebu, Cagayan de Oro and Palawan also host POGO sites, which are all considered illegal because they are not under the watch of Pagcor or any investment promotion agency, Mr. Casio said.

“We’re looking at them because as far as our records show, there are no legal POGOs in Cebu,” he said. “We’re also taking a look at reports that there are offshore gaming operations in Palawan province as well as in Cagayan de Oro and Davao.”

“There should not be any in Davao or Cagayan de Oro,” he said, noting that the 42 legal POGOs under Pagcor’s watch are all in Metro Manila and in Kawit, Cavite.

Congress under Mr. Duterte passed a law taxing POGOs to legalize them, despite concerns about their social costs. Chinese President Xi Jinping had asked him to ban their operations.

Philippine authorities have raided POGOs allegedly linked to crimes including human trafficking.

Law enforcers raided a POGO in Bamban, Tarlac in March, rescuing hundreds of Filipino and foreign workers believed to have been trafficked. The raid later led to the suspension of the town mayor.

Authorities also raided another POGO complex on the border of Porac and Angeles City in Pampanga province that they dubbed as the “most notorious” for violence.

Mr. Casio told BusinessWorld that they recently recovered video materials showing workers being tortured inside the POGO complex, which had more than 40 buildings including villas and a golf course.

The videos showed a woman being tortured and a man being electrocuted for trying to escape, he said.

About 160 foreign nationals have been rescued from the POGO complex in Pampanga. Authorities have been looking for more victims and suspects inside the compound.

Mr. Casio said PAOCC has yet to come up with a recommendation to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. amid a push in the Senate for a ban on all POGOs.

The agency on Tuesday said Manila and Beijing have agreed to boost cooperation against transnational crimes including those linked to POGOs during a meeting between Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin, who heads the PAOCC, and Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian.

The parties had agreed to “effectively disrupt and dismantle criminal networks” through expertise exchanges, intelligence sharing and joint operations, the PAOCC said in a statement.

Cigarettes worth P2.6M seized

Cigarettes are seen during the manufacturing process in the British American Tobacco Cigarette Factory (BAT) in Bayreuth, southern Germany, April 30, 2014. Picture taken April 30, 2014. — REUTERS

COTABATO CITY — Law enforcement agents on Monday foiled an attempt by smugglers to deliver P2.6 million worth of cigarettes from Indonesia to contacts in the village of Awang in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte.

Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation and local police intercepted a truck carrying 100 boxes of Indonesian-made cigarettes, Brigadier General Prexy D. Tanggawohn, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, told reporters.

Law enforces acted on a confidential tip.

The contraband would be turned over to the Bureau of Customs for proper disposition, Mr. Tanggawohn said. — John Felix M. Unson

Senate project delayed by 2 years

CONCEPTUAL PHOTO of new Senate building. — PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE DEPARTMENT of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Wednesday said the construction work for the new Senate building in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City has been delayed by 852 days due to rising costs.

The delays were due to “variation orders” in relation to the building, Public Works project director Soledad R. Florencio told a Senate committee on accounts hearing.

Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero earlier suspended construction work due to “escalating costs,” citing the need to review expenses and management practices.

The Senate would not be transferring to the Taguig building by September or anytime next year after the project cost rose to P23 billion from P8.9 billion, he said. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Gov’t told to come up with AI plan

WANGXINA-FREEPIK

THE PHILIPPINE government should speed up plans to boost worker adaptability to artificial intelligence (AI) to avoid job losses, a senator said on Wednesday.

In a statement, Senator Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva said AI could make work life easier and lift productivity.

But the Labor department should work double time to ensure Filipino workers are “technically adept and equipped with crucial skills like critical thinking and problem-solving, otherwise we would just be counting job losses,” he said.

Mr. Villanueva, who used to head the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority or TESDA, cited the need to examine how the country is preparing workers for AI amid a global push for digitalization and the widespread use of Al across industries. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Action plan for kids approved

BETH MACDONALD-UNSPLASH

THE COUNCIL for the Welfare of Children on Wednesday said a national action plan has been approved that would level up the protection of Filipino children, including the most vulnerable.

The plan, developed with state agencies, civil society, children and development partners including the United Nations Children’s Fund closes the remaining gaps in national strategies and frameworks, the state council said in a statement.

Angelo M. Tapales, executive director of the council, said they are committed to enhancing child protection, amplifying their voices and fortifying resilience against climate change.

UNICEF Country Representative Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov said the national action plan would ensure that the Philippines would no longer have a fragmented approach in protection children’s rights.

“We are committed to ensuring that the Fourth National Plan of Action for Children is fully implemented. It is not just a plan on paper,” he said in the statement.

The plan places more emphasis on system strengthening. Working on child protection cuts across several line agencies, making coordination even more important in developing joint action plans with clear roles and responsibilities on who does what, the council said. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

CHED regulatory powers pushed

COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION FACEBOOK PAGE

THE COMMISSION on Higher Education (CHED) should be empowered to police colleges and universities and ensure their compliance with educational standards, a congressman said on Wednesday.

CHED’s regulatory power should be modeled after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) ability to regulate the banking industry, Bohol Rep. Kristine Alexie Besas-Tutor, a member of the House higher and technical education committee, said in a statement.

“The 30-year-old CHED Charter granted by Republic Act No. 7722 needs upgrades,” she said. “I would like CHED to have regulatory powers similar to that of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.”

CHED should be able consolidate and merge colleges and universities to improve educational quality, she added.

CHED did not immediately reply to a Viber message seeking comment. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Cotabato intensifies surveillance, monitoring against ASF

REUTERS

COTABATO Governor Emmylou “Lala” Taliño-Mendoza has ordered strict surveillance, monitoring and an information campaign to control the spread of African swine fever (ASF) in the province.

The Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPV) is set to conduct more random blood testing on hogs in different towns of the province in the next few days after two pigs from the village of Idaoman in President Roxas municipality tested positive on June 29.

Hog farmers in several towns in Cotabato, also known as North Cotabato, were first affected by ASF in 2020, which was contained that same year. A new outbreak was reported at the start of 2022.

The governor opened a veterinary quarantine center in 2022 to boost control measures against the hog disease. The facility along the main highway in Old Bulatukan, Makilala has disinfection equipment and foot baths. — Maya M. Padillo

Comelec law changes pushed

PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

THE PHILIPPINE Congress probably doesn’t have time to amend the country’s election law before midterm elections next year, according to a former election commissioner.

Local politicians will be filing their certificates of candidacy by October, former Election Commissioner Gregorio Y. Larrazabal said in a Viber message.  The earliest lawmakers could amend the law is after 2025, he added.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia on Wednesday said they submitted a draft bill amending the Omnibus Election Code to Congress in June last year.

“The [Election Code] is circa 1985,” he said in a Viber message. “Surely, lots of changes have happened since that time.”

He said the issues surrounding Bamban Mayor Alice L. Guo highlighted the need to change the law.

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Jaime B. Santiago told a virtual news briefing the fingerprint results connecting Ms. Guo to a Chinese woman named Guo Hua Ping are strong pieces of evidence that could prove that she is not Filipino.

Her critics including Senator Ana Theresia N. Hontiveros-Baraquel said she managed to become a mayor despite her questionable Filipino citizenship. Ms. Guo has denied the allegations. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

FIVB Challenger Cup kicks off Thursday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium

ALAS PILIPINAS — FACEBOOK.COM/PREMIERVOLLEYBALLLEAGUE

Games Thursday
(Ninoy Aquino Stadium)
3 p.m. — Puerto Rico vs Kenya
5 p.m. — Sweden vs Belgium

THE RACE for that one precious slot to the prestigious Women’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) starts as eight countries, including host Alas Pilipinas, clash in the FIVB Challenger Cup, which will be unveiled Thursday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Puerto Rico and Kenya open hostilities at 3 p.m. while Sweden, the recently crowned European Golden League champion in Ostrava, the Czech Republic, faces off with Belgium, a European league bronze winner, at 5 p.m.

The Swedes are expected to parade European Golden League reigning MVP Isabelle Haak while the Belgians will parade their two best weapons in power-hitting Britt Herbots and Silke Van Avermet. And it will be Alas Pilipinas’ turn Friday as they battle fancied regional rival Vietnam, which ruled the AVC Challenge Cup last month when the former settled for a breakthrough bronze.

Preceding the Philippines-Vietnam 5 p.m. showdown is the duel between European Golden League silver medalist Czech Republic, which will be spearheaded by Michaela Mlejnkova, and Argentina, the 2019 Challenger Cup third placer, at 3 p.m.

And the Filipinas are bracing for a tougher grind ahead.

“We know it will be a tough tournament but we will try to play our best,” said Alas skipper Jia de Guzman.

The short but sweet four-day tilt will have a knockout format where the eight try to eliminate every team they face until one ends up as the sole winner and recipient of that important seat to the VNL where they will join planet’s cream of the crop next year.

The semifinals are set Saturday while the finale the next day.

And Alas Pilipinas and its droves of rabid, glory-seeking Philippine fandom are hoping the country can achieve the impossible and miraculously claim that one ticket to VNL heaven. — Joey Villar

Blu Girls split doubleheader, down HK, fall to Canada

PHILIPPINES BLU GIRLS — ASAPHIL.COM.PH

THE PHILIPPINES split its double-header yesterday, downing Hong Kong, 5-1, before falling to host Canada, 12-0, Wednesday in the Canada Cup International Softball Championships in Surrey, British Columbia.

The Cebuana Lhuillier-backed, Ana Santiago-coached Blu Girls went on a five-run blitz atop the second inning in posting their second win in a row over the Hong Kong batters early in the day.

April Minanga allowed just a run while Mea Tubongbanua batted in three of the decisive five runs the country scored in the second inning that sealed a fitting follow up to its 5-1 triumph over New Zealand the day before.

Against the Canadians, the Blu Girls just ran out of fuel and absorbed their first defeat that sent them screeching from a share of the lead with the former to joint No. 2 with the Mexicans with 2-1 cards.

Despite the loss, Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines President Jean Henri Lhuillier still lauded the team for its resiliency.

“The RP Blu Girls are showing the world they mean business,” he said. “They have come prepared, mentally and physically and continue to prove why our softball team is the highest ranked Filipino team sport in the world.”

Thursday, the Blu Girls hope to bounce back against the Israelis before clashing with Mexicans Friday for a chance at claiming a spot in the playoff round set Friday to Sunday. — Joey Villar

Winless Gilas U17 draws world no. 1 USA in knockout round

GILAS PILIPINAS UNDER 17 — FIBA

AND all hell breaks loose for Gilas Pilipinas after drawing world No. 1 and reigning champion USA in the knockout rounds of the FIBA Under 17 (U17) World Cup in Istanbul, Turkey.

The Filipinos went winless after another blowout loss against Puerto Rico late Tuesday night at the Sinan Erdem Dome, 98-53, for a cellar finish in Group A at 0-3.

All 16 World Cup teams still made it to the crossover rounds but Gilas, with a forgettable outing in the group play, drew the tournament’s biggest bet in the mighty Team USA, which finished No. 1 in Group B with a perfect slate.

The Philippines and the United States were to play at press time for a seat in the quarterfinals.

Enormous favor is on the fancied Americans, who drubbed all their three foes in the pool play by a whopping winning margin of 60.6 points. Winner of all six editions of the World Cup, USA demolished France, 104-81, Guinea, 124-49, and China, 146-62.

Gilas, for its part, bowed to world No. 7 Lithuania, 107-48 and world No. 2 Spain, 96-34 before a 45-point defeat to world No. 15 Puerto Rico for an average 55.3-point losing gap.

Mentored by Josh Reyes, Gilas marked a World Cup return for the first time since 2019 during the era of Kai Sotto, AJ Edu and Carl Tamayo following a semifinal finish in the FIBA U16 Asia Cup.

But Gilas, ranked No. 25 in the world, had a tough luck in groupings by drawing all three Top-15 teams in the pool play alone.

And now, USA stands in its way.

Ace guard Kieffer Alas made it to the All-Star Five in the continental tourney but he suffered a knee injury before Gilas’ debut against Lithuania that also took a massive blow on the Nationals’ chances. — John Bryan Ulanday