PIA website hacked, fake story claims Aquino injured in blast

The defaced Website of PIA around 3 p.m. Sunday

MANILA, Philippines – The website of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) may have been hacked or infiltrated after it posted on Sunday fake reports on a supposed bomb blast at Malacañang that injured President Benigno Aquino III.

As of 3 p.m., the text “Breaking News: Bomb Blast in Malacañang – President Injured” was seen below the website’s menu bar

The text also appeared in the site’s Latest post sidebar, together with another article titled “PNoy (Aquino’s nickname) Injured in Malacañang Blast.”

Clicking on the link of “PNoy Injured in Malacañang Blast” will redirect the viewer to a page dated August 18 with the text “Pinoy is injured in a bomb that rocked Manila.”

The other “Breaking News” link showed another page that said, “A bomb that blast in Malacañang injured the President.”

It cited a quote from the film The Matrix, “I’m going to show these people what you don’t want them to see. I’m going to show them … a world without rules or controls, borders or boundaries. A world where anything is possible. Where we go from there is a choice I leave to you. – Neo.”

By 4 p.m., the posts have been deleted.

INQUIRER.net tried to contact the PIA to confirm if its website has indeed been compromised but calls to their office were unanswered.

In 2010, the PIA website was defaced by hackers after the hostage-taking incident in Manila which left eight tourists from Hong Kong dead.

Government websites have in the past become favorite targets of hacker groups protesting foreign affairs or national issues such as the Cybercrime law.