Philippine Senate website hacked amid leadership crisis

The Philippine Senate's deepening political crisis spilled into cyberspace Thursday after its official website was defaced with a warning from a group using language associated with the hacktivist collective Anonymous. The message read: 'The people deserve truth. The people deserve accountability. The people deserve better. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect Us.' The site has since been restored. The incident underscores a bitter power struggle within the Senate, which remains locked in a leadership dispute. Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, an ally of former President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio, seized control of the Senate presidency last month. A rival bloc of 12 senators declared the post vacant last week and installed Senator Sherwin Gatchalian as acting Senate president, paralyzing the chamber.

This institutional chaos is set against the larger feud between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Duterte family. On Wednesday, Gatchalian revealed that intelligence reports warned of a potential armed group attempting to disrupt the Senate, prompting tightened security. The website defacement signals that public frustration over political infighting is spilling into direct action. The message's closing line echoes Anonymous, suggesting either copycats or actual hacktivists are targeting Philippine political institutions. The incident spotlights how deeply the crisis has eroded public trust, with cyberattacks becoming a new front in a volatile political war.