Gov establishes digital war room for May elections

The Philippine government has established a 'digital war room' and a 24/7 Threat Monitoring Center to combat disinformation ahead of the May elections.

Operationalized within two days, this first-of-its-kind facility was set up by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Commission on Elections (Comelec), Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), and Task Force KKK sa Halalan to protect election integrity in the digital sphere.

ICT Secretary Henry Aguda emphasized the government's commitment to safeguarding truth and transparency during the digital era, stating that the center is a promise to the Filipino people as a guardian of truth.

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia highlighted the extensive nature of misinformation spread through social media and internet platforms, emphasizing its impact on voters in the final days of the campaign.

The Center employs advanced forensics, real-time surveillance, digital forensics, rapid-response coordination involving various stakeholders including government agencies, law enforcement, fact-checkers, tech companies, and civil society organizations to track and neutralize false narratives circulating online.

ICT Assistant Secretary Renato Paraiso stressed the importance of combating disinformation to preserve democracy, stating that falsehoods cannot be unchecked and urging Filipinos to report suspicious posts through the CICC hotline 1326 as a 'Digital Bayanihan'.