Philippine Government Websites Hacked on June 12 (Independence Day)

Some of the Government websites was hacked on Independence day, reported at ABS CBN website.

Office of the Vice President's website

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino hackers struck on Independence Day Tuesday.

Several Philippine government websites were defaced, with visitors of the websites redirected to a new Internet address set up by a group calling itself "Private X." The same group earlier claimed responsibility for previous hacking attacks on Philippine and Chinese government websites. The websites affected Tuesday include the Office of the Vice-President.

The other affected websites and webpages are :

http://www.doj.gov.ph/?page=news&newsid=114
http://www.doj.gov.ph/gallery_photos.php?aid=RE9KIGluIEFjdGlvbg%3D%3D
http://www.pia.gov.ph/
http://www.pnri.dost.gov.ph/
http://www.nfa.gov.ph/
http://www.set.gov.ph/
http://www.smokefree.doh.gov.ph/
http://mandaluyong.gov.ph/
http://www.omb.gov.ph/
http://www.papt.org.ph/

The hackers said they are protesting the Philippine Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

"In the light of our past resorts, our organization stood still with its goal of proclaiming security in Philippine's cyber culture and in the midst of the events, we have witnessed the efforts of our good authority into constituting a cyber bill, in which as we have observed has good intentions, but a little loopholes over some matters," the message posted on the defaced websites said.

"In such instances, the said bill could evenly be more considered as an exercise for the benefit of a few empowered who have the way and will to punish people who offend them, and could also be a potential threat to the freedom of expression since it can be used as a tool of censorship, and moreover it can greatly be used in the near future to condone further implementations of worse forms of censorship," it added.

"We're not against the government's intention to combat fraudulence, related forms of it and other serious cyber crimes, but we're absolutely against its provision that has something to do with the internet's freedom of expression," the hackers said.

"We're hoping for the recuperation of the bill in the implied points and evenly looking forward for its success towards the resurgence of the philippine cyber-culture and the betterment of it," they added.

The hackers said they did not either steal or destroy data from the affected websites.

"Our ethics prohibits those kinds of acts and our only intention is to deliver our protest. May this mass defacement serves as a reminder, and is a spark for all of us to do such changes. Happy Independence Day," they said.

Government agencies have yet to issue a statement regarding the mass defacement attack.

Source: ABS CBN News at http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/06/12/12/govt-websites-hacked-independence-day

Jojo Malig @ ABS-CBNNews.Com

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Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim Threatens to Tell the Truth About Josep Estrada

 Next Manila City Mayor: Alfredo Lim or Joseph Estrada?

MANILA, Philippines – Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim said he will be "forced to tell the truth" about the rift between him and former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada amid their looming rivalry in the Manila mayoralty race in 2013.

He said he will spill the beans on his long-time friend if negative remarks will continue to be thrown his way. "Magkaibigan kami niyan, magkumpare kami niyan. Kung pwede lang, ayoko magsalita tungkol diyan dahil baka makasakit tayo ng damdamin kung sasabihin ko ang totoo. Mabuti na sigurong keep silent nalang ako. Pagdating sa campaign period, last week of March, kapag binatikos pa din nila ako ng binatikos ng kasinungalingan, I will be forced to tell the truth," Lim told ANC Presents: Road to 2013.

The 82-year-old Manila mayor did not elaborate on what caused the strain on their friendship, saying he’d rather keep silent. "Nakagisnan ko na mula ng pagkabata ko na huwag magsasalita ng hindi maganda sa kapwa. Bagkus, kung makakatulong ka sa mga nangangailangan ng tulong, eh tulungan mo," said Lim. Lim also said that in his career as a politician, he has never traded tirades with another official. "I mind my own business basta kung ano ang trabaho ko, ginagampanan ko lang. Ako ang binabatikos lagi, ako ang subject ng siraan," he said.

A Lim-Estrada face off in the 2013 elections is set after the former President expressed plans to challenge the incumbent mayor. Estrada transferred from his home in North Greenhills, San Juan to 589 Manga Ave. in Sta. Mesa last May 9 and transferred his voter’s registration in Manila to run for mayor.  However, Lim said he is still unconvinced that the 75-year-old Estrada will run for mayor of Manila unless he files a certificate of candidacy in October. Lim said he has been receiving reports that incumbent Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno will gun for the mayoral post in 2013. "May mga nagsasabi na talagang makakalaban ko ay si Vice Mayor Isko Moreno. I do not know how true it is," Lim said.

Moreno, who is reportedly being eyed as the running-mate of Estrada, took his oath with Estrada’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) last month. Lim, on the other hand, has yet to pick a running-mate but said several incumbent congressmen have expressed interest to run alongside him in the coming elections. "Mayroon nang [mga interesado] pero syempre tinitimbang natin ang mga kakayahan ng mga taong ito," he said.

Lim added that if ever Estrada decides to run against him as mayor of Manila, it will be a good fight. And I will also give them a good fight, he said. Lim earlier served as the secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government during Estrada’s presidency. He left PMP after a falling out with Estrada and ran for mayor in 2010 under President Aquino’s Liberal Party.

Source: ABS-CBN News @ www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/metro-manila/06/12/12/lim-threatens-tell-truth-about-erap

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