The Philippine Senate’s political crisis has spilled into cyberspace after its official website went offline on Thursday following its defacement with a warning accusing lawmakers of betraying public trust.
“The people deserve truth. The people deserve accountability. The people deserve better. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect Us,” the message said, using a closing phrase long associated with the global hacktivist collective Anonymous.
The incident comes as the Senate remains locked in a fierce struggle that has led to two senators claiming the top leadership post, raising questions about who holds control of one of the country’s most important institutions.
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Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, an ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte and Rodrigo’s daughter, Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio, seized control of the Senate presidency last month.
A rival 12-member bloc declared the post vacant last week and installed Senator Sherwin Gatchalian as acting Senate president, deepening the paralysis in a chamber that is already entangled in the bitter feud between President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr and the Dutertes.
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On Wednesday, Gatchalian said Senate security had been tightened after intelligence reports warned that an armed group could try to disrupt the chamber.