Lacson welcomes NPC probe into alleged data breach at Comelec


Partido Reporma Chairman and standard-bearer Senator Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson on Thursday, January 13 said he welcomes the investigation by the National Privacy Commission (NPC) into the alleged "hacking" and data breach at the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Lacson said he has instructed his in-house cyber-security team to cooperate with the NPC investigation and share what leads it may have gathered.

"Mainam na sabihin nating may ibang body na nag-imbestiga... Mahalaga talagang tingnan natin ito, get to the bottom of this issue para talagang maliwanagan (It is good that the NPC is investigating this. It is critical that we get to the bottom of this issue so all of us will be enlightened)," Lacson said in an interview on DZME radio.

He said his cyber-security team is following some leads, including a Facebook post dated November 21 last year, but noted there is "nothing conclusive" so far.

Still, he said he instructed the team to extend assistance to the investigation by sharing its leads with the NPC, which is to hold a clarificatory meeting on Jan. 25.

"Malaki ang implikasyon kung may katotohanan (If the hacking is true, it may have a huge implication on the May 9 elections)," he added.