PCSO probes alleged Facebook hacking

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) on Wednesday said it is investigating the alleged hacking of its social media page after lewd photos were posted on its Facebook page. 

“Immediately noong nakita namin merong ganun, tinake down namin voluntarily. At iyon nga, pinapa-imbestigahan namin,” PCSO general manager Melquiades Robles told Super Radyo dzBB.

(Well, when we saw it, we immediately took it down voluntarily. Of course, we are having it investigated.)

However, the explicit photos could still be viewed on PCSO's Facebook stories on Wednesday morning. 

Robles, meanwhile, said they are unsure if the account was indeed hacked. 

“Ngayong umaga, makakakuha ako ng report kung ano talaga ito kasi posible rin na hindi hack e baka may malilikot ang utak sa loob. Hindi namin masasabi,” he said.

(This morning, I will receive a report on what really happened because it is also possible that it was not hacking, but someone inside our agency has a naughty mind. We cannot say.)

Robles told the public not to worry as the system for the lottery is different from the one they use for the Facebook page.

He added that no vital data has been compromised because the Facebook page is only used for information dissemination.

“Intact naman po ang ating system at iyong data security po namin at ng contractor natin ay maasahan natin so far,” he said. 

(Our system remains intact and our data security as well as our contractors are reliable so far.) 

Meanwhile, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) is now coordinating with the investigation, Sandra Aguinaldo reported on “24 Oras."

Robles said they are not ruling out the possibility the alleged hacking was an inside job. 

“Because we don’t have a lot of information and usually it is technology-based and technical. The first approach really is inside job,” said Scam Watch Pilipinas lead convenor Jocel De Guzman.

“Whether it's the e-wallets and everything but I think we have to wait for the actual investigation,” he said.

The PCSO further said the alleged hacking incident will not affect the lottery system. 

“The system for the lottery is intact wala namang problema doon. We assure the public and it has in fact, reached record sales yesterday with the new system,” Robles added. 

(There is no problem with the lottery system. We assure the public and it has in fact, reached record sales yesterday with the new system.)—Joviland Rita/ Sundy Locus/VAL, GMA Integrated News