In a landmark display of interagency cooperation, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), through the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), and the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) have jointly launched a 24/7 Threat Monitoring Center aimed at preserving the integrity of the upcoming 2025 midterm elections.
The real-time digital command post—spearheaded by the CICC and COMELEC’s Task Force KKK sa Halalan (Katotohanan, Katapatan, at Katarungan)—is tasked with identifying and neutralizing online misinformation and disinformation. This initiative responds directly to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ‘s directive for clean and honest elections and underscores the state’s commitment to defending truth in the digital age.
DICT secretary Ivan John Uy and CICC assistant secretary Renato A. Paraiso highlighted the center’s swift deployment—operationalized in just two days—as a testament to “urgency, unity, and grit.” Secretary Uy emphasized, “This Center is our commitment to the Filipino people… to stand as a guardian of truth and transparency.”
COMELEC Chairman George Garcia noted the growing challenge of digital disinformation, especially as AI-generated deepfakes and viral fake news continue to cloud public perception. “The misinformation is really massive,” Garcia said, underlining the importance of coordinated action in the days leading to the elections.
The Center brings together representatives from government, law enforcement, tech platforms, fact-checkers, and civil society in a unified digital war room. Beyond monitoring threats, its core mission is to protect the right of every Filipino to cast an informed vote—whether in urban hubs or remote provinces.
“The stakes are high, and the message is clear,” said Paraiso. “When disinformation wins, democracy loses. That’s why we cannot—and will not—let falsehoods go unchecked.”
