President Marcos directed an inquiry into the alleged wiretapping of a high-ranking official within the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) by the Chinese Embassy in Manila.
“We are looking into it because the fact of the matter is, there have been mentions of a tape that confirms that there was this agreement,” President Marcos said in a chance interview.
President Marcos emphasized that it is premature to draw any conclusions until he reviews the contents of the alleged wiretap.
“It’s in the possession of the Chinese Embassy and the Chinese government. So, until they release it, it’s harder to believe and to accept that there was an agreement,” he said.
When asked if he had issued any directives for government agencies to exercise additional caution, President Marcos said there was no such directive, but highlighted the ongoing policy on cybersecurity.
“There have been so many departments and agencies that have been victimized and I think we are all very aware of the risks of cybersecurity. We are very conscious of that,” he said.
President Marcos noted that the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) are collaborating to enhance the country’s cybersecurity.
He said the Department of Information and Communications (DICT) and Department of Science and Technology (DOST) are working to improve cybersecurity and plan to recruit top Filipino experts to bolster defenses.
The Department of Justice through its National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) already initiated a probe into the wiretapping allegations. The Senate committee on national defense also scheduled a hearing on the issue this coming week.