DICT to tech editor: Face hacking charges

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) told newspaper technology editor Art Samaniego Jr. to face the charges against him since he was engaged in hacking events involving private companies and government websites.

In an interview with Palace reporters on Wednesday, Undersecretary Jeffrey Ian Dy urged Samaniego of Manila Bulletin to cooperate with the authorities in the investigation.

Earlier this week, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) - Cybercrime Division issued a subpoena to Samaniego. The summons was served at the Manila Bulletin office in Intramuros, with the company's Vice President Reynaldo Rafal receiving it on his behalf.

"Honestly, I didn't notice that he had that side," Dy said regarding Samaniego's alleged hacking involvement.

"But for Art, my advice is let's face it. He should go through the process and face the case. He will be given ample time to prepare for his defense. So, he should be given that privilege," Dy added.

Dy commended the NBI for their work on the case and emphasized a "one government approach" to cybersecurity.

The DICT official also acknowledged Samaniego's past contributions to anti-hacking initiatives for the government.

"We have been discussing this with NBI... It's really unfortunate that Mr. Art Samaniego is involved. I understand that he's also a founder of ScamWatch and has been doing anti-hacking activities in public," Dy said.

"But right now, I think the subpoena was already served for Art to be able to explain his side of the story and NBI is still building the case so they can file this with the prosecutorial service at the Department of Justice. That's the update right now," Dy added.

Earlier reports have described Samaniego as refuting the accusations made against him. But a Manila Bulletin data security officer said Samaniego gave the orders to hack around 90 websites, such as military sites, the National Security Council, and several banks.

When asked about the impact on Samaniego's potential future collaboration with DICT, Dy said that Samaniego is "on indefinite leave in ScamWatch" and that the allegations are just that, allegations.

"This is an allegation. Number three, it is he who is facing cases, not ScamWatch. That said, we'll also have to discuss this with CICC and ScamWatch how we can manage the situation," Dy said.

"For DICT's part, we do not discount all the good things that he did. I was with him in a cyber security forum in Israel and so many other countries. This is an official government function that I was in," Dy added.