MANILA -- The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said it is monitoring at least 8 financial apps that can be used for vote buying for the 2025 elections.

At the sideline of the GRC Conclave cybersecurity forum in Makati, DICT Undersecretary Jeffrey Ian Dy said they are monitoring apps that can be used to send money. He did not mention the names of the apps, but said these include the big financial apps. 

"Let's call it cash apps, ang dali mag transfer. 'Di sya na-bypass ng money laundering controls. Unlike in banks where you have a cut off period and for a certain amount, they'll hold it until it's cleared," he said.

Vote-buying scam, ibang modus na posibleng magamit sa Halalan 2025 iniimbestigahan na ng CIC

Dy added they are working with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas which is the regulator of digital financial apps. He said there are tools to monitor money movements, especially if there are sudden changes. And the new Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act can also aid in the investigation.

"Beware for those who are buying votes. Regulatory bodies in the Philippines can actually see the volume of transactions including where it is coming from," he said.

CICC warns of vote-buying scams ahead of May elections 

DICT is on alert this election season due to possible cyber crimes including vote buying, as well as the rise of deepfakes and the spread of fake news online.

"Come election, the main problem is misinformation, disinformation, and deepfakes," Dy stressed.  

"Steal credibility by stealing their faces and then you'll find out they're endorsing candidates already. We have to stop that," he continued. 

Dy reported that in 2024, DICT handled 2,855 cyber incidents. And in November and December alone, Dy said they prevented 249,000 attempts of breaches or hacking.