Palace: Poll bets who misused emergency alerts to face sanctions

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro. Screengrab from RTVM/FACEBOOK

MANILA, Philippines — A Palace official warned on Tuesday that election candidates proven to have exploited the Emergency Cell Broadcast System (ECBS) would face sanctions.

This came after the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) received reports from residents in some provinces that they received EBCS urging them to vote for certain candidates.

The EBCS is designed to issue alerts during typhoons, earthquakes, and other public safety threats.

READ: OCD: Misusing ECBS for pol campaign risks public safety, endangers lives

“Let us not abuse the Emergency Cell Broadcast System because when we say ’emergency,’ it should strictly be used for emergencies only,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a briefing.

“This should not be abused by anyone for personal gain, okay. The DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology) and the NTC (National Telecommunications Commission) have already begun investigations regarding this matter, and anyone proven to have violated the law will be charged accordingly,” she added.

In a statement on April 6, the OCD condemned the “inappropriate use” of the EBCS, emphasizing that “utilizing it for political messages not only undermines its critical purpose but also risks desensitizing the public to genuine emergencies, potentially endangering lives.”

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

The agency also said that Globe and Smart Telecommunications confirmed that they do not utilize the system for non-emergency purposes and did not send alerts for political use.