MANILA — House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Monday called for an immediate briefing from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on cyberattack attempts on Philippine government websites that were allegedly perpetrated by Chinese hackers.

Hacker na umatake sa gov't website, galing sa China telecom: DICT

“This briefing should focus on the nature and extent of these cyber-attacks, the current measures in place to prevent future incidents, and strategies for enhancing our cybersecurity infrastructure,” Romualdez said in a statement.

ATTACKS THWARTED

Over the weekend, DICT Undersecretary Jeffrey Ian Dy reported that cybersecurity experts prevented the hacking of government websites and email addresses by China-based cybercriminals. 

One of attacks was aimed at taking down the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) website, the DICT official added.

In a briefing on Monday, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said that the House has already beefed up its own cybersecurity with the help of the DICT.

"We're planning to get a third party to help us secure our IT system here... the whole IT network in the House of Representatives, including media, yung mga cellphones ninyo. Mga data ninyo," he said.

"Today kasi, hacking is almsot like a regular activity."

The Philippine Coast Guard, in a separate statement, said that it had tried to validate reports of cyberattacks on its website.

"So far, we have not monitored anything. Our website remains secure," R.Adm Armando Balilo, PCG spokesperson, said.

PUBLIC BRIEFING SUGGESTED

Romualdez said the DICT briefing could be done in the House of Representatives as soon as possible, most probably this week.

What we know about China's alleged state-backed hacking

“I propose that this briefing be conducted in an open hearing … Transparency in this matter is crucial as it affects not just the integrity of our government's digital infrastructure but also the safety and privacy of our citizens,” Romualdez said.

Romualdez said that the Philippines should not allow these cyberattacks on government websites to go unchecked.

He added that the incidents should prompt a review and strenghening of cybersecurity policies.

“We must ensure that our national cybersecurity strategies are robust enough to withstand such attacks and agile enough to adapt to the evolving digital landscape,” he said.