MANILA, Philippines – MARIING kinondena ng Office of Civil Defense (OCD) ang “inappropriate use” ng emergency cell broadcast system (ECBS) para sa political campaigns.
Sinabi ng OCD na pinarurupok lamang nito ang layunin ng sistema.
Ito’y matapos na ireport ng mga residente mula sa lalawigan ang di umano’y pagtanggap ng emergency alerts na naglalaman ng pangalan ng lokal na kandidato para sa nalalapit na halalan sa bansa.
“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,” ayon sa OCD.
Sinabi ng ahensiya na nakatanggap sila ng maraming reklamo mula sa mga residente na nakatanggap ng 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,” ang sinabi ng OCD.
Sa kabilang dako, kinumpirma naman ng telco providers Globe Telecom and Smart Communications na “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. We have referred this matter to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) for appropriate investigation and action,” ang winika ng OCD. Kris Jose
