The National Security Council on Wednesday raised an alarm over a possible foreign interference during the 2025 midterm elections in the Philippines.
In a television interview, NSC Assistant Director General, Jonathan Malaya, said it is critical for the government to intensify its cyber security amid the reported persistent cyber attack from “foreign sources” by the Department of Information and Communications Technology.
Malaya did not just warn the government agencies but also the private sector.
“The NSC is also sounding the alarm on possible electoral interference by foreign entities… Given that it's an election year, we should be starting to prepare now on how to protect the integrity of the electoral process and protect it from cyberattacks,” Malaya said.
He said the NSC has already expressed the concern to the DICT.
“We have already relayed to them that we need to have a robust cyber security strategy and to also prepare for the 2025 elections for any possible interference.
“We see a consistent pattern abroad. We have seen foreign interference in elections in most democracies,” he noted.
In nature, Malaya said democracies—in the system of government—are vulnerable to cyber attacks “due to the openness and transparency of such democracies.”
Malaya made the remarks after the United States and its two key allies accused China of being behind a series of hacking into lawmakers and key democratic institutions.
China denied the accusation and said it “opposes and cracks down on all forms of cyberattacks.”
Malaya said the NSC, with its concerned partner agencies, is already preparing for the midterm polls for any possible foreign interference, which includes securing election database from hacking.
“It is the responsibility of the government to prepare us for any eventualities and given that we are strategically located in the flat point of the region, it would be prudent for the Philippines to start preparing for that.
Malaya said they will ensure the safety of the transmission of election results and “cannot be subjected to any cyberattack.”
He added the campaign process must not be interfered with the "usage of fake news or disinformation or malign influence.”
Any interference with the electoral process is considered a threat to national security, Malaya noted.
“That’s why we need to prepare for that as early as now,” he added.
Malaya said the cyber threat “could be as subtle as troll farms or disinformation to sway the public to a certain political thought. Or it could be as serious as hacking the electoral database. Or interfering with the transmission of votes.”
“For so long we have always been concerned about politicians manipulating the electoral process for their own benefit to ensure their victory,” he added.
Malaya said the government should act on the possible threats before it happens.