Cops, DICT investigate back-to-back Congress website

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Sunday urged all government agencies to conduct a comprehensive audit of their digital defenses after hackers defaced the official website of the House of Representatives, the second high-profile cyberattack on Congress in less than a week.

The House website went offline Saturday evening and screenshots circulating on social media showed the page had been defaced with messages from a group claiming the intrusion was a protest against state corruption and political dynasties.

PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the incident highlights the urgent need for stronger coordination among agencies protecting the government's digital infrastructure.

"This incident serves as a reminder that cybersecurity must remain a top priority for all government agencies," Nartatez said in a statement.

"We encourage institutions to regularly review their security protocols, update their systems, and strengthen monitoring mechanisms against evolving cyber threats," he added.

Meantime, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said a preliminary assessment showed that no confidential or sensitive information was compromised, as the affected pages primarily host publicly available documents.

The DICT’s National Computer Emergency Response Team is currently working to restore services and determine the extent of the unauthorized access.

The breach follows a similar attack on the Senate website on 10 June, which was attributed to the group "Nullsec Philippines."

The Senate Electronic Data Processing-Management Information System Bureau confirmed that while the site was modified, no confidential records were vulnerable.

Nartatez has instructed the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group to work with legislative IT personnel to identify the source and methods used in the attacks. He warned that those responsible will face charges under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

Under Philippine law, website defacement is punishable by six to 12 years in prison and a fine of at least P200,000.