MANILA, Philippines — Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. clarified that it was not possible for a contractor to have run away with personal data of those affected by the data breach at the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The country's top diplomat earlier claimed that a contractor "took away" all applicants' data, prompting the DFA to require those renewing their passports to bring their birth certificates.
Related Stories
"Data is not run-away-able but made inaccessible. Access denied. But APO assured me they were able to access but not much use and parts corrupted," Locsin said on Twitter in response to a netizen who asked for clarification.
Data is not run-away-able but made inaccessible. Access denied. But APO assured me they were able to access but not much use and parts corrupted. APO agrees with me that old passports are best evidence of identity and join me in despising those who don't agree with me. https://t.co/ln6blIwbIB
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) January 15, 2019
Inaccessible. Although APO assured me yesterday they were able to access it though the data is of not much use now. The French never compromise another country's security because they don't want to occupy us. Now worry about National ID. https://t.co/zmUJUkbKYa
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) January 15, 2019
Inaccessible and in part corrupted but actually we don't need it. I believe that if you have an old passport whatever vintage you can get it renewed on the strength of presenting it to DFA. Checking the legality of that belief. https://t.co/ceoodKANbm
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) January 14, 2019
Locsin was referring to APO Production Unit, a company under the Presidential Communications Operations Office, which is the latest contractor.
According to the secretary, APO agreed with him that old passports would be the best evidence of identity.
Locsin also said former contractor French firm Francois-Charles Oberthur Fiduciare would not compromise the country's security despite making the data inaccessible.
"Although APO assured me yesterday they were able to access it though the data is of not much use now. The French never compromise another country's security because they don't want to occupy us," he said in a separate tweet.
On the other hand, former Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. said Oberthur could not have run away with personal data of passport holders.
The former DFA chief said the French firm simply withdrew from the agency when its contract expired.
Saying that the previous contractor ran away with data would be "completely false and malicious," according to Yasay.
"The only reason, compelling reason I can see is because they wanted to deflect the real issue of the passport mess, which is awarding, the production of the passport from an end-to-end basis," Yasay told ANC's "Headstart" on Monday.