The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), through the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) rolled out a 24/7 threat monitoring center to safeguard the integrity of the upcoming midterm elections.
The digital command post will operate in real-time to detect, disrupt and dismantle online misinformation and disinformation, ensuring a clean and honest election as directed by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
Spearheaded by the CICC and Comelec’s Task Force Katotohanan, Katapatan, at Katarungan sa Halalan (Task Force KKK sa Halalan), the center, which was operationalized in just two days by CICC and assistant secretary Renato Paraiso, proves the government can act with urgency, unity and grit when truth is on the line, the DICT said.
“This center is our commitment to the Filipino people. A promise that in a time of digital deception, the government will stand as a guardian of truth and transparency,” DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said.
Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia said the center would help resolve the massive wave of misinformation that floods the cyberspace in the critical days leading up to the 2025 midterm polls:
“The misinformation is really massive, just using one word and then the connected information on the internet [and] social media, like that, all of our countrymen can see it,” he said.
From fake claims like “No National ID, No Vote” to AI-generated deepfake videos, the digital war room is built to protect the integrity of the elections.
Using cutting-edge forensics, rapid-response coordination and real-time surveillance, representatives from government agencies, law enforcement units, fact-checkers, tech platforms, and civil society organizations will work side-by-side in this digital war room, the DICT said.
