Malacañang on Tuesday warned election candidates against abusing the emergency cell broadcast system (ECBS) for campaign purposes, emphasizing that the system is intended solely for emergency situations.

The Office of Civil Defense recently sounded the alarm over reports from several provinces where residents allegedly received ECBS alerts urging them to vote for particular candidates.

In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) are already investigating these allegations.

She said the emergency system should not be exploited for personal or political gain.

“Huwag po sanang abusuhin itong emergency cell broadcast system dahil ito po, ‘pag sinabi pong emergency ay dapat pang-emergency lamang po (Let’s not abuse our emergency broadcast system because it is solely for emergency purposes only),” Castro said.

The Palace official warned that anyone found violating the law will face legal consequences.

“Nagkaroon na rin po ng pag-iimbestiga ang DICT at ang NTC patungkol po dito at sinuman po na mapapatunayang nagkaroon ng paglabag sa batas ay sasampahan po ng kaso (The DICT and NTC are already conducting investigation and whoever is proven to have broken the law will be held accountable),” Castro said.

Designed to warn the public of life-threatening emergencies such as earthquakes, typhoons, and other imminent threats, the ECBS is a critical tool in the government’s disaster response framework. (PNA)