House of Representatives website screenshot

The House of Representatives leadership has acknowledged the hacking of its website on Sunday, Oct. 15. 

"We wish to inform the public that the official website of the House of Representatives experienced unauthorized access earlier today," read a statement released by House Secretary General Reginald Velasco on Sunday afternoon. 

"Immediate steps have been taken to address the issue, and we are working closely with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) and law enforcement agencies concerned to investigate the matter," the statement read. 

"While we work to restore the website fully, we ask for patience and understanding. We are committed to ensure the security and integrity of our digital platforms, and we will implement additional measures to prevent such incidents in the future," it added. 

"For the moment, we advise the public to be cautious of any suspicious emails or communications that claim to be from the House of Representatives," it further said. 

The hacking, which led to the vandalism of the House of Representatives website (www.congress.gov.ph), was first detected at just before noon Sunday. In the succeeding minutes, the website was down or could no longer be accessed. 

"We will keep the public updated as more information becomes available," Velasco's statement read.