A hacker group named Phantom Troupe has attacked the website of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).
On Tuesday, December 2, the hackers defaced the OSG website and hacked its online application database. The hackers also put up a message on the website saying “Stop blackmailing the NTC! Give ABS-CBN provisional authority.”
According to Manila Bulletin’s source, the hackers were able to download over 9 thousand files from the server containing transcript of records, PRC certificates of rating, resumes, certificates of eligibility, civil service certificates, PRC IDs, diplomas, training certificates, board of accountancy certificates, and other minor information that could be used to identify the owners.
The OSG led by Solicitor General Jose Calida was the one responsible for pushing for the cease and desist order by the National Telecommunications Commission on May 5 that led ABS-CBN to shut down their free TV broadcast.
NTC was supposed to grant ABS-CBN a provisional authority once their franchise expired but Calida wrote a letter to the NTC pressuring the agency not to give provisional authority to the Kapamilya network.
Calida was the one who also filed the Quo Warranto case against ABS-CBN at the Supreme Court.
Calida argued that ABS-CBN’s franchise is void because of its constitutional violation pertaining to alleged foreign ownership through its PDR offerings. Calida also argued that ABS-CBN pay per view channel KBO on its digital TV receiver TV Plus also violated the provision of its franchise against pay television service offers.
The Supreme Court dismissed Calida’s quo warranto for being moot and academic.
ABS-CBN has been shut down since May 5. Their franchise application meanwhile was later on denied by the 70 Cayetano-led congressmen during its voting on July 10.
Meanwhile, the OSG’s website is now up and running again after the hacking incident.
