Lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc on Thursday, October 7, have filed a resolution directing the House of Representatives, through the Committee on Information and Technology, to investigate the alleged use of emergency text alerts system for partisan election campaigns.
The Makabayan bloc, made up of representatives from the Bayan Muna, Gabriela, ACT Teachers and Kabataan Party Lists, citing Republic Act No. 10639, otherwise known as “The Free Mobile Disaster Alerts Act,” said that the emergency text alert system was apparently hijacked and used for political campaign, specifically for the presidential campaign of Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., the son of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., on Wednesday, October 6.
Under Section 4 of RA No. 10639, mobile phone service providers are mandated to send out alerts at regular intervals in the event of an impending tropical storm, typhoon, tsunami, or other calamities. The alerts consist of up-to-date information from the relevant agencies, and shall be sent directly to the mobile phone subscribers located near and within the affected areas.
The alerts include contact information of local government units and other agencies required to respond to the situation. These may also contain other relevant information such as, but not limited to, evacuation areas, relief sites and pick-up points.
The said “emergency alerts”, containing pro-Marcos messages, were blasted to many cell phone users after Marcos, Jr. filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) before the Commission on Election (COMELEC).
The solons added that the camp of former Sen. Marcos Jr. should explain why it is using and misrepresenting the emergency alert system for blasting clearly partisan political campaign materials. This scheme, clearly aimed at deceiving the public, is highly condemnable and should be denounced according to the Makabayan bloc leaders in the Lower House.
"The National Telecommunications Commission and the Comelec should immediately investigate how this apparent pro-Marcos campaign has hijacked the emergency alerts frequency or used illegal communication sites, Congress should likewise probe the same to further strengthen Republic Act No. 10639, including possible penalties for using the system for misleading or false messages or for the illegal use of other communications sites and misrepresenting its message as that of the emergency alert system, among others. Clearly, this dubious scheme casts serious doubt on the integrity of the system, which people are supposed to rely on for life-saving information," the Makabayan bloc said in their statement.