Embattled IT officer urged: Face hacking charges

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Wednesday has called on technology editor Art Samaniego Jr. to face the charges against him amid allegations that he was involved in hacking events involving private companies and government websites.

In an interview at the Palace, Undersecretary Jeffrey Ian Dy urged Samaniego to cooperate with the authorities for the investigation.

This comes after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Cybercrime Division issued a subpoena to Samaniego which was served at his office in Intramuros, with the company’s vice president 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,” he added.

Dy also 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,” he added.