The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), in coordination with other government agencies, will closely monitor the country’s cybersecurity, as well as any candidates who may attempt to undermine the integrity of the upcoming midterm elections.
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC), along with the security sector, is also preparing for the possibility of foreign influence in the elections.
In a report by RH Edniel Parrosa, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. confirmed that the military is already conducting background checks on the candidates.
Brawner further stated that the government is committed to preventing a recurrence of the issues that marred previous elections.
“Mayroon po tayong background check and kapag mayroon po kaming nakita na mga red flags, we will inform COMELEC about this," Brawner said on Thurday during the Opening of National Election Monitoring Action Center (NEMAC).
Meanwhile, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief PGen. Rommel Francisco Marbil stated that the PNP is prioritizing the cybersecurity of the force to ensure that the elections will not be affected.
COMELEC Chairman George Erwin Garcia has also sought the assistance of the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to ensure that Artificial Intelligence is not used to spread misinformation and disinformation.
However, Garcia admitted that the influence may extend beyond cyberspace, with the potential for money to be used for vote buying.
On the matter of Miru Systems, Garcia trusts that the standalone machines are secure and unlikely to be easily compromised.
