Comelec taps DICT, NTC to address ‘text blasts’ of some candidates

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Sunday that it has reported to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) certain candidates who allegedly use text blasting for political campaigns.

Poll chairman George Garcia explained that such text blasts are in violation of the telecommunications law, among others. 

He also warned of possible perilous effects of using text blasting machines for other purposes aside from emergencies. 

“‘Yan pong mga emergency devices na ganyan ay ginagamit kapag may natural calamities or disasters. Ibig sabihin, nakaka-interfere po ‘yan sa ating mga coordinating agencies na ang purpose ay mapigilan ‘yung mismong epekto sa tao ng kalamidad katulad ng baha, lindol, o kahit sunog,” Garcia said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview. 

(Those emergency devices are used only when there are natural calamities or disasters. If candidates use that, they interfere with our coordinating agencies whose purpose is to prevent the impact of calamities such as floods, earthquakes, or even fires on people.) 

“So sana maunawaan nila na sila po ay nakaka-create ng danger sa buhay ng ating mga mamamayan,” he added. 

(So I hope they understand that they are endangering the lives of our citizens.)

Time to make a stand

This comes as residents of Masbate reported receiving an emergency alert last Thursday, April 3, which contained a message urging them to vote for certain candidates for governor, vice governor, mayor, and district representative in the May midterm elections.

Christian Dometito Zaragoza, one of the residents, showed proof on his mobile phone’s recent emergency alerts.

“Bigla kami na-rattle for a while kasi kakatapos lang ng lindol sa Thailand and Myanmar [We were rattled for a while because of the recent quake in Thailand and Myanmar],” Zaragoza said in Jonathan Andal's report on GMA’s “24 Oras Weekend.”

Zaragoza is set to file a formal complaint before the Comelec on Monday, April 7, even as he acknowledged the risks associated with this.

“Isa sa pinakanagmarka talaga sa akin last 2022, ‘di na dapat pumikit ‘pag ika’y namulat na. Baka ito na ‘yung time na tumindig, talaga na alam mo ‘yung tama. I know naman na tama ‘yung pinaglalaban ko,” he said.

(One of the things that really made its mark on me last 2022 is that enlightened eyes should not be shut. Maybe this is the time to make a stand, when you know what is right. I know that I am fighting for what is right.)

For his part, Garcia said it would be difficult to know the origins of such emergency alerts, as candidates could claim that these were sent out by their rivals in an attempt to discredit them.

“‘Yan po ay violation po, hindi ng Comelec law or election law, pero violation ng ibang batas, lalo na po ‘yung ating Telecommunications Law,” he said.

“Kaya lang, siyempre, dahil madali namang i-deny, sasabihin hindi sila. Dahil sasabihin, baka ‘yung mga kalaban nila ang gumagawa po niyan,” he added.

(This is a violation, not of the Comelec law or election law, but a violation of other laws, especially our Telecommunications Law. However, of course, it is easy to deny and say it was not them, say that maybe it was their rivals behind it.)

GMA News is still trying to reach out to the candidates identified in the emergency alert for comment on the matter.

OCD condemns

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Sunday said it "strongly condemns" the inappropriate use of the Emergency Cell Broadcast System (ECBS) for political campaigning. 

"This system is designed exclusively for issuing life-saving alerts during emergencies, such as earthquakes, typhoons, and other public safety threats. Utilizing it for political messages not only undermines its critical purpose but also risks desensitizing the public to genuine emergencies, potentially endangering lives," the agency said.

The OCD said it has received multiple reports from residents in certain provinces who reported receiving ECBS alerts that included political content urging them to vote for specific candidates. 

"These messages, designed to mimic urgent emergency notifications, create confusion and may lead to complacency during real crises." it warned.

The OCD said Globe Telecom and Smart Communications have confirmed that they do not utilize the ECBS for non-emergency messages and have not sent any political campaign alerts.

 "The misuse of this system for political gain is unacceptable and will not be tolerated," the OCD said.

"We have referred this matter to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) for appropriate investigation and action. The OCD is actively coordinating with relevant agencies to thoroughly investigate these incidents and ensure that those responsible are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law," the agency said.

DICT warning

DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy earlier warned that charges will be filed against election candidates who will use text blasting machines for their campaigns, stressing that such equipment are illegal, unlicensed, and covered by the regulations of the NTC.

In January, a 46-year-old Malaysian was arrested in Parañaque City for selling text blast machines with international mobile subscriber identity catcher (IMSI) that can also be used for scams.

The suspect faces charges for violations of the Philippine Radio Stations and Radio Communications Regulation Act, the SIM Registration Act, the Data Privacy Act, and the Cybercrime Prevention Act.—with Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/RF/BM, GMA Integrated News

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