Robredo says false claim linking her to Comelec hacking part of ‘mind-setting’

Just like in the 2016 polls, Vice President Leni Robredo said that her critics are once more conditioning the mind of the public through their “trolls” to believe that there will be massive cheating in the upcoming May elections after groups alleged that her camp is behind the hacking of the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) computer servers.

Robredo then called on the poll body to conduct an “honest-to-goodness” investigation on the alleged hacking first reported by the Manila Bulletin’s Technews team.

“'Yung ginawa nila in 2016, parang nagma-mind setting nga na mayroong dayaan na nangyari (What they did in 2016, they did mind setting that cheating will happen),” Robredo told reporters during a virtual meet-up on Tuesday, Jan. 11.

The Vice President wants Comelec to “make public” the results of the investigation.

“Ito 'yung ginagawa nila (This has been what they’re doing) from the time na nagsimula sila sa (from the time they start in) social media. 'Yung (The) mind-setting, ginagamit 'yung mga trolls. Ginagamit 'yung mga trolls para mapapaniwala ang tao ng isang bagay na hindi naman (they are using the trolls. They are using the trolls to make the people believe something that is not) fact,” Robredo said.

On Monday, Jan. 10, the MB Technews team informed Comelec that sensitive voter information may have been compromised after a group of hackers allegedly breached their servers to download more than 60 gigabytes of information that can affect the May 2022 polls.

But Comelec spokesman James Jimenez, belied the allegations even as the poll body is presently validating the report.

READ: Final report on alleged hacking to be released this week, says Comelec spokesperson

He clarified that it is impossible for hackers to download usernames and PINs of voter counting machines because “such information still does not exist in Comelec systems simply because the configuration files—which includes usernames and PINs—have not yet been completed.”

Jimenez maintained that the commission is compliant with the Data Privacy Act.

But on social media, critics of Robredo alleged that her camp is behind the hacking to ensure her victory in the upcoming elections.

They said this is similar to what her camp did during the 2016 elections when she won against her closest rival, former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Robredo said this is “very urgent” as her spokesman, lawyer Barry Gutierrez, earlier hit critics for linking the Vice President to the alleged hacking.