House takes down website after detecting suspicious, unusual activities

MANILA, Philippines— A day after the House of Representatives announced that its official website has been fully restored and operational, House Secretary-General Reginald Velasco once again reported that the lower chamber voluntarily took its website down again.

In his update, Velasco said that they have "detected suspicious and unusual activities that necessitate further scrutiny."

As a precautionary measure to double-check and reinforce cybersecurity measures, Velasco said that the House's website was voluntarily taken offline.

The website usually publishes press releases, schedule updates and recordings of House panel meetings and hearings.

"Our primary concern is to guarantee the safety, integrity, and reliability of our digital platform for the citizens we serve,” Velasco said.

On Monday, the House Secretary-General said that there is an ongoing investigation into the “unauthorized access” of the website over the weekend.

The official website of the House was defaced with an image of a "trollface" and an entity calling itself “3MUSKETEERZ” taking responsibility for the act on Sunday.

Velaso said that they are collaborating with relevant law enforcement agencies regarding the probe.

Furthermore, the House has taken comprehensive measures to enhance the security of the website and ensure that it meets “the highest standards of cybersecurity.” Velasco said that the investigation will seek to identify those who are responsible for the website breach.

"We have taken comprehensive measures to enhance the security of our site, ensuring that it meets the highest standards of cybersecurity," Velasco says.

In his latest statement, he appealed to the public for understanding amid the inconvenience that the website’s inaccessibility may have caused.

“We understand the inconvenience this might cause and appreciate the public's patience and understanding as we work diligently to address these concerns," Velasco said.

"Our commitment to transparency and open communication remains unwavering, and we will provide updates as soon as we have more," he added.

Last week, two other government agencies, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation and the Philippine Statistics