MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) - Malacanang has called for restraint as the standoff between China and the Philippines over Scarborough Shoal has already reached the online world.
In an interview with radio dzRB, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said “it will not bode well” for both sides if they will fuel the already critical standoff at the Scarborough Shoal.
“We call on the citizens, including ours, to exercise civil temperance at a time when emotions are running high,” she said in a separate text message.
In a separate text message, Foreign Affairs Spokesman Raul Hernandez also said: “We denounce such cyber attacks regardless from which side they are coming from. They are counter-productive and will only add to the tensions. We call on both Filipino and Chinese netizens to be more responsible and encourage dialogue rather than discord.”
Nonetheless, the government has “already taken these things into consideration and is doing all it can to protect our computer systems so as to prevent any disruption in our day-to-day operations.”
On Friday, alleged Chinese hackers attacked the website of the University of the Philippines System.
Across the website showed the words: “We come from China! Huangyan Island is Ours!”
China calls Scarborough Shoal, Huangyan Island, while the Philippines calls it Bajo de Masinloc.
Filipinos supposedly retaliated by defacing several Chinese websites.
The China University Media Union was vandalized with the words: “Chinese government is clearly retarded. Scarborough Shoal is ours!” The hackers called themselves “Anonymous #OccupyPhilippines”
A Chinese government website was also hacked, https://gh.rc.gov.cn/, where these words were written: “You got f**ked by the Philippines! Spratly Island Is OURS!”