Ignore text blasts of politicians, NTC tells voters

NTC logo INQUIRER file image

MANILA, Philippines — The text blasts of political candidates should be ignored, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) said on Monday.

The NTC issued its advisory amid reported misuse of SMS blasters purporting to promote politicians’ candidacies through emergency broadcast facilities normally used for calamities.

“The NTC strongly advised the public to ignore similar messages received under the emergency broadcast facility unless it is a legitimate emergency message coming from the National Disaster and Risk Reduction and Management Council or the Pagasa weather and flood forecasting center,” the commission said in a statement.

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“The misuse of SMS blasters, particularly through emergency alert systems, to disseminate campaign materials is not only inappropriate, but also undermines public trust in critical communication channels,” it added.

Last January, a Malaysian was caught allegedly selling the device to send fraudulent messages to thousands of people.

The device, which could fit in a backpack, was sold at P600,000.

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Meanwhile, the NTC also said it endorsed reports of misuse of text blasts to relevant law enforcement agencies.

NTC said violators may face imprisonment of up to 12 years and fines of up to P500,000 under the Cybercrime Prevention Act, Republic Act No. 3846, as amended, the SIM Registration Act, and related NTC rules and regulations.