3 hackers allegedly selling Eleksyon 2022 win to candidates arrested —PNP-ACG

Authorities have arrested three hackers who are allegedly selling victories to candidates in Eleksyon 2022, the Philippine National Police - Anti-Cybercrime Group said on Tuesday. 

The PNP-ACG with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) arrested the suspects in separate entrapment operations in Imus, Cavite, and Sta. Rosa, Laguna on April 24.

“CICC together with the PNP-ACG conducted an entrapment operation in Imus, Cavite, and Sta. Rosa, Laguna against notorious hackers named 'XSOX Group'," the PNP-ACG said in a statement.

WATCH: Tatlong hacker na miyembro ng XSOX Group, naaresto ng Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) at PNP-ACG sa isinagawang entrapment operation sa Imus, Cavite at Sta. Rosa, Laguna. | via @allangatus pic.twitter.com/v9s12VjEta

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) April 26, 2022

The suspects were identified as Joel Adajar Ilagan or “Borger”, Adrian De Jesus Martinez or “Admin X”, and Jeffrey Cruz Limpiado or “Brake/Vanguard/Universe/LRR”.

Authorities said the suspects are allegedly claiming to have access to the system of Smartmatic Inc., the system provider for the automated 2022 elections, and can influence the results of the May 9 polls.

Based on initial findings, the suspects allegedly violated the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 with the following acts:

• hacking of Smartmatic system;
• disrupting the Comelec website;
• hacking the Napocor website;
• hacking of credit cards and other online transactions; and
• ransomware committed against some local commercial websites.

With the help of the Department of Justice and the National Prosecution Service, the PNP-ACG said criminal cases were filed against the suspects for violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, particularly system interference, illegal access, and attempt in the commission of cybercrime.

“With these arrests, we can assure the public that the threat to rig our electoral process through hacking is substantially diminished as these are the only remaining known hackers who are persistently visible on the dark web claiming that they can manipulate election results,” it added.

At a press conference Tuesday, CICC executive director Cezar Mancao II said operatives had three meetings with the suspects.

“In fact, nagkaroon ng three meetings. Una, doon sa Solaire, pangalawa doon sa EDSA Shangri-La Hotel, pangatlo doon sa Pansol, Laguna. Hindi nila alam ang kanilang mga kausap ay mga CICC operatives,” he said.

(In fact, there were three meetings with them. First, at Solaire, second at EDSA Shangri-La, and third in Pansol, Laguna. They did not know they were talking to CICC operatives.)

The operatives posed as personnel of some politicians who would like to seek the hackers' help to rig the results of the May 9 polls. The suspects received the initial P10 million of the P16 million payment they asked, he added.

Mancao said these hackers indeed have access to the Smartmatic system but only within partial levels.

According to him, the three suspects are connected with former Smartmatic employee Ricardo Argana who initially surrendered to the NBI and went into hiding.

Argana supposedly passed the access to the Smartmatic system to Limpiado, according to Mancao.

Mancao said the suspects had contacts with some election candidates in the provinces but he refused to name them. —KG, GMA News