The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Manila has firmly rejected claims of a data breach concerning overseas voting documents. In response, the Comelec’s Cybersecurity Division has initiated a thorough investigation and activated all necessary cybersecurity measures. This includes collaboration with the National Computer Emergency Response Team and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) under the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco emphasized the organization’s commitment to data privacy and cybersecurity. Initial findings suggest that the data in question pertains to lists of applicants from the 2013 election-year registration cycle, which are unrelated to current Comelec data or the upcoming May 12 midterm elections. Laudiangco clarified that these documents are publicly available online, as required by the Overseas Voting Act of 2013. In response to a previous data breach in 2016, Comelec has enhanced its IT infrastructure and cybersecurity protocols, ensuring that servers for the 2025 elections are not internet-connected and employ air-gap security measures. The official Comelec website hosts only public information. An extensive investigation into the alleged breach is underway, involving the Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation, DICT-CICC, and tech giants like Meta, Google, TikTok, and X. Laudiangco condemned the allegations as malicious and ill-intentioned.
Comelec Denies Alleged Data Breach of Overseas Voting Records
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