Chinese officials have expressed willingness to cooperate in the probe into the attempted cyber attacks on the websites of Philippine government agencies, according to Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan Uy on Thursday, February 8.
Speaking to reporters in a press briefing in Malacañang, Uy said Chinese officials "have reached out" to them.
"Yes, actually, they have reached out to ask if we can do some cooperation dahil it's actually both ways. Cooperation has to come as a mutual activity. So, they are willing to help. They have mentioned that if we could share with them yung ano yung nangyari para mahanap nila kung saan at sino ang gumawa no'n," he said.
The DICT chief said they are open to work with Chinese officials.
Uy, however, noted that they would not cross out the possibility that Chinese hackers were behind the cyber attacks.
"Well that’s not for us to come out with that conclusion yet, it’s too early. But anything is possible. So, we just need to, I think, currently take it at face value and see how things develop. In cyber investigations and in analyzing all of this, we never rule out anything. Everything is the realm of possible," he said.
In a press release published last February 3, DICT Usec. Jeff Ian Dy said hackers had attempted to take down the official websites of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration as well as President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr.
The said hackers were said to be traced at a "command and control center" operating in China Unicom.
Senator Risa Hontiveros has recently filed Senate Resolution No. 923 which seeks to investigate the recent cyberattacks.
