OCD slams misuse of emergency alert system for political campaigns

Metro Manila, Philippines - The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) denounced the misuse of the Emergency Cell Broadcast System (ECBS) after receiving reports that political messages were sent through the system in the middle of the election campaign period.

Residents from various provinces reported receiving ECBS alerts urging them to vote for certain candidates — a move the OCD called “inappropriate” and “dangerous.”

“The system is designed exclusively for issuing life-saving alerts during emergencies, such as earthquakes, typhoons, and other public safety threats,” the OCD said in a statement.

“Utilizing it for political messages not only undermines its critical purpose but also risks desensitizing the public to genuine emergencies, potentially endangering lives,” OCD added.

ECBS messages are hard to ignore. Unlike regular SMS, they bypass mobile signal and internet, directly pushing emergency-style alerts to phones — complete with loud alarms and vibrations.

The OCD stressed that political messages disguised as urgent alerts undermine public trust and may cause people to ignore genuine warnings in the future.

Meanwhile, both Globe Telecom and Smart Communications confirmed they did not send out the political broadcasts, and clarified that ECBS cannot be accessed by private individuals or political groups.

“It is crucial to emphasize that none of these telecommunications providers offer ECBS services to private individuals or companies for any purpose other than genuine emergencies,” OCD further stated.

The agency has referred the matter to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) for investigation and possible sanctions.

So far, no candidate has admitted to the unauthorized use of the alert system.

The Commission on Elections has yet to release guidelines or penalties addressing the issue, but legal experts warn that it may violate laws prohibiting the use of government platforms for partisan activity.

“The misuse of this system for political gain is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.” the OCD said.

The ECBS was launched in 2017 under the Free Mobile Disaster Alerts Act of 2014. It was developed by the NDRRMC in partnership with telcos to quickly deliver warnings during natural disasters, using verified data from agencies such as PAGASA and Phivolcs.

National campaigning began on February 11 for senatorial and party-list races, while local campaigns for congressional and municipal posts kicked off on March 28.