Anonymous Philippines issues statement, denies role in protest violence

By TechWatch PH Staff

Hacktivist group Anonymous Philippines has released a statement distancing itself from the violence that broke out during the September 21 protests in Manila, after being mentioned by Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Henry Aguda.

In a press briefing, Aguda confirmed that 19 government websites experienced defacement attempts during the protest period, though he stressed that no critical systems were compromised. He also noted that the group known as Anonymous Philippines had resurfaced, echoing its past history of online activism.

Shortly after, the group posted an open message addressed to “citizens of the Philippines and to DICT Sec. Henry Aguda,” clarifying their role in the protest activities.

“We Anonymous Philippines joined in the peaceful protest at Luneta Park after our Operation #FeedTheHomeless and march towards Mendiola Peaceful Arch at 1 PM,” the group said. “After the interview with GMA News, we peacefully left the place and did our part in the protest in some other ways. We condemned violence!”

Anonymous Philippines claimed the unrest near Ayala Bridge was not their doing but the work of individuals they identified as members of the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), whom they accused of hijacking the event.

“They are the ones responsible for destruction of public and private properties in Manila during the protest, they wanted to set fire at Malacañang Palace,” the group alleged.

The hackers rejected what they described as “red-tagging” against them and insisted their advocacy remains rooted in nonviolence.

“Red tagging Anonymous Philippines will nothing to do about current situation of our country,” their statement read. “We remain watchful and committed to nonviolence. Think twice before targeting peaceful activists, you can provoke us, but we Philippines Hackers respond with random cyber attacks. Expect us.”

The resurfacing of Anonymous Philippines highlights the return of a group that gained notoriety for past website defacements and political messaging during demonstrations. While DICT maintained that the recent cyber incidents were swiftly contained, the group’s latest warning suggests tensions between online activism and state cybersecurity defenses could escalate further.