MANILA – The recent changes in the Department of Information and Communications Technology may lead to stronger cybersecurity efforts, an expert said on Friday.

During his presentation at the Philippine Press Institute, Dominic Ligot, founder of Data Ethics PH, said cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, are something to watch out for during the midterm elections.

“Cybersecurity seems to be something na takot i-report sa media. I know it’s because it is a highly technical issue. As I speak today, a new DICT chief has been appointed,” said Ligot.

“It seems that cybersecurity is going to be a big thing for the new chief,” he said.

He also cited the reported exit of an official handling DICT’s cybersecurity. Jeffrey Ian Dy, DICT’s undersecretary for infostructure/management, cybersecurity, and upskilling, has confirmed that his tenure at the agency already “expired effective March 31” based on a letter signed by the Office of the Executive Secretary.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Dy said he was “surprised” with the development.

“I am proud of the Philippine achievements in Cybersecurity of which I have been part of,” Dy said.

“Since the last National Cybersecurity Interagency Council meeting, I did not talk to anyone from the Office of the Executive Secretary. I also do not know how a tenure would have expired especially since I am holding the plantilla item for the permanent/career  undersecretary position. Perhaps, it is the trust and confidence in me of the appointing power that has expired,” he said.

DICT Secretary Henry Rhoel Aguda earlier ordered top officials of the agency to submit courtesy resignations, saying this is “normal in any transition of any agency.”

Aguda clarified that the appointments are not covered by the appointment ban, given the importance of the agency’s work, especially at this time.

Earlier this year, the agency confirmed that several agencies under the executive branch have been subjected to "persistent" cyberattacks from groups associated with China.

The attacks, Dy earlier said, showed that cybersecurity should be a part of the national security strategy.

"Because technology has evolved, AI is here, and it makes our work in cybersecurity a lot more complex," he had said.

Meanwhile, in March, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) and the US-based National White Collar Crime Center begin training Filipino law enforcement agents on advanced digital forensics at the National Cybercrime Hub.

The CICC said there was an urgent need for Filipino agents to be trained and be oriented on various issues in the field of cybercrime.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN PH

Ligot also noted the rise of artificial intelligence used for satire social media posts and how the media coverage on this has become “negative.”

“That is also one thing I want to correct. It is not mostly negative, we are just too obsessed with the images, the deepfakes na parang naka-cloud siya there. Eventually we need to spot those and report those,” he said.

“We also need to balance the narrative about AI,” he said.

Deepfakes should be something to watch out for in the upcoming midterm elections, according to the expert.

Despite all the threats and challenges surrounding the innovation, he said artificial intelligence could help elections become efficient.

“If you are able to reduce the paperwork, the analysis time needed, the Comelec should be using AI if they are not using it already… fact-checking should be using AI if they are not using it yet.

“The narrative is dominated by deepfakes. We need to talk about what AI means to every Filipino, for us as media practitioners and the future of the Philippines,” he said.

Ligot in the same forum urged journalists and other members of the media to train on AI.