In a stunning revelation, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) disclosed that the automated election system (AES) was the target of over 1.45 million hacking attempts during the May 12 national and local elections.
According to a report from Philippine Daily Inquirer, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said, “Our cybersecurity defenses recorded a staggering 1.45 million intrusion attempts during the polling period, but I want to stress — not a single breach occurred. The AES remained fully secure, and the integrity of the vote was not compromised.”
Despite reassurances from Comelec officials, the volume of attempted cyberattacks has raised concerns among cybersecurity experts, civil society groups, and voters alike. Many are now questioning who may be behind the massive cyber onslaught — and whether future elections could face even more sophisticated threats.
Local media outlet Rappler reported, “While Comelec insists there was no breach, independent observers are urging the commission to release more technical details on the nature of the attempted intrusions, including their origins and methods used.”
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed it is assisting Comelec in analyzing the logs and patterns of the attacks, though no suspects have been identified as of this writing.
Election watchdog group Namfrel urged transparency and vigilance, saying in a statement, “With this level of attempted interference, it is vital that Comelec collaborates with cybersecurity professionals to shore up the AES and restore public trust.”
Social media reactions have been mixed. Some netizens praised Comelec’s apparent cybersecurity readiness, while others expressed skepticism.
“1.45 million hacking attempts and zero breaches? That’s either an incredible success or a story that needs more scrutiny,” one X (formerly Twitter) user commented.
As the nation reflects on the conduct of the elections, the question now lingers: Can we trust the system moving forward? Will future elections remain safe in the face of increasingly aggressive cyber threats?
