Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez revealed that the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. was recently the target of a sophisticated phone hacking incident involving fake messages sent from unregistered numbers—some impersonating him.

In a strongly worded column published in The Philippine Star, Romualdez disclosed that fraudulent messages were allegedly sent to Philippine government intelligence officials, falsely appearing to come from his office. “This is simply totally unacceptable,” he wrote, warning that the incident reflects a broader campaign of foreign interference aimed at destabilizing the Philippine government.

Romualdez emphasized that the attack is part of a growing pattern of information warfare, where foreign actors weaponize social media, spread disinformation, and use covert influence to exploit domestic vulnerabilities. “There is enough intelligence information that show growing indications that foreign forces are closely watching—with some actively working to inflame tensions,” he noted.

The ambassador called for a dual response: strengthening internal defenses against cyber and information threats, and reinforcing strategic alliances to counter malign foreign influence. “Clearly, this situation requires stronger alliances as well as stronger internal defenses against information warfare and foreign manipulation,” he said.

The revelation comes amid heightened political tension in the Philippines, where a major corruption scandal has eroded public trust in institutions. Romualdez warned that such internal instability makes the country more susceptible to external manipulation, especially in the context of great power rivalry in the Indo-Pacific region.

He urged the Marcos administration to treat corruption not just as a governance issue, but as a national security crisis. “To face outward, the country must first put its own house in order,” Romualdez wrote. “A country that is both clean at home and secure abroad cannot easily become vulnerable to destabilization.”

The embassy has not yet released a formal statement on the technical details of the spoofing incident, but officials are reportedly coordinating with cybersecurity experts and U.S. authorities to investigate the breach.

As the Philippines navigates both internal and external threats, Romualdez’s warning underscores the urgency of safeguarding national integrity—not just through diplomacy and defense, but through transparency, accountability, and public trust.

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