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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Gatchalian unfazed by threats after Senate website cyberattack

Gatchalian unfazed by threats after Senate website cyberattack

Published Jun 11, 2026 08:53 pm

At A Glance

  • Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said the Senate will not yield to intimidation after a cyberattack defaced the institution's website, vowing to continue its work and uphold democracy.
  • Gatchalian described the incident as part of a series of escalating threats against the Senate, which has been under heightened security following warnings relayed by the National Bureau of Investigation, prompting work-from-home arrangements on June 10 and 11.
  • He urged the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the NBI, and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center to investigate the attack, stressing that while no sensitive Senate data was compromised, the website intrusion remains a serious violation.
Senate President Pro Tempore and Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said on Thursday, June 11, that the Senate will not yield to intimidation following a cyberattack on the institution's website.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian (Photo from Senator Gatchalian's Facebook page)
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian (Photo from Senator Gatchalian's Facebook page)
“Hindi kami susuko sa intimidasyon. Hindi kami hihinto sa aming trabaho para sa bawat Pilipino. Ang mga nagtatangkang sirain ang demokrasya sa pamamagitan ng karahasan ay haharapin ang buong kapangyarihan ng batas, at ang buong lakas ng isang institusyon na nakatayo para sa katotohanan, katarungan, at kalayaan ng ating bansa (We will not yield to intimidation. We will not stop doing our work for every Filipino. Those who seek to undermine democracy through violence will face the full force of the law and the full strength of an institution that stands for truth, justice, and the freedom of our nation),” Gatchalian said.
Gatchalian strongly condemned the act and called for a unified government response to identify and prosecute those responsible.
Gatchalian said the incident is the latest in a series of escalating threats to the security and independence of the Philippine Senate. The Senate has been on heightened security alert following serious threats relayed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to senators, prompting the chamber to authorize work-from-home arrangements for employees on June 10 and 11 to allow for inspections and other precautionary measures.
“This cannot be treated as an isolated incident. Ang pag-atake sa aming mga sistema, gaya ng iba pang banta na kinakaharap natin ngayon, ay krimen. At lahat ng kriminal ay dapat managot sa batas (The attack on our systems, like the other threats we face today, is a crime. And all criminals must be held accountable under the law),” Gatchalian said.
The Acting Senate President called on the NBI, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) to immediately launch a thorough investigation into the incident.
While the Senate has confirmed that the attack was limited to website defacement and that no legislative files, databases, or sensitive records were compromised, Gatchalian stressed that the intrusion nonetheless constitutes a serious violation of the institution’s integrity.

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Sherwin Gatchalian Senate of the Philippines senate website Senate threat
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