Comelec facing complaint over leak of voters’ info

MANILA, Philippines - An administrative complaint has been filed against the Commission on Elections (Comelec) over the supposed leak of sensitive personal information of some 55 million registered voters in the country.

Jose Ramon Albert, a senior fellow of the Philippine Institute of Development Studies, filed a complaint before the National Privacy Commission (NPC) against the poll body, through Chairman Andres Bautista. 

Albert, also a former secretary general of the National Statistical Coordination Board and a member of the advisory council of the United Nations Global Pulse, said Comelec did not comply with the Data Privacy Act when it failed to disclose the nature of the breach. 

He said the poll body did not notify those who were affected by the breach as mandated by law. 

“The Comelec failed to designate the officials that are responsible for the breach. This is clearly contradictory to its obligations under Section 21(b) (of the law),” added the 11-page complaint, which Albert filed through the Center for International Law.  – With Sheila Crisostomo