Hackers target Philippine Military and Presidential Websites

Hackers target Philippine military, Presidential websites

Reuters

Posted at Nov 08 2017 

SINGAPORE - A hacking group previously linked to the Vietnamese government or working on its behalf has broken into the computers of neighboring countries as well as a grouping of Southeast Asian nations, according to cybersecurity company Volexity.

Steven Adair, founder and CEO, said the hacking group was still active, and had compromised the website of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) over several high-profile summit meetings. ASEAN is holding another summit of regional leaders in the Philippines capital Manila this week.

In May, cybersecurity company FireEye reported that the group, which it calls APT32 and is also known as OceanLotus, was actively targeting foreign multinationals and dissidents in Vietnam. FireEye said at the time the group's activity was "of interest to the nation of Vietnam."

Adair told Reuters he had no basis to definitely say who was behind the group but said its capabilities rivaled those of most other advanced persistent threat (APT) groups, a term often used to refer to hacker groups that are believed to have state support.

"What we can say is that this is a very well resourced attacker that is able to conduct several simultaneous attack campaigns."

Vietnamese officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. But Hanoi has in the past denied accusations of cyber-attacks against organizations or individuals, and said it would prosecute any cases.

Adair said it was not clear how much information the group had stolen. "We do not really have anything on the scale of data theft, but we can tell you the scale and reach of the sites they have compromised is very far reaching," he said.

Malicious code

Volexity said in a report that the group had compromised websites of ministries or government agencies in Laos, Cambodia and the Philippines so they would load malicious code onto the computers of targeted victims.

This code would then direct them to a Google page which asked for their permission to access their Google account. If the user agrees, the hackers then have access to their contacts and emails.

The ministries included Cambodia's ministries of foreign affairs, the environment, the civil service and social affairs, as well as its national police. In the Philippines it had compromised the websites of the armed forces and the office of the president.

Three ASEAN websites, and the websites of dozens of Vietnamese non-government groups, individuals and media, were similarly targeted. The group also infected websites belonging to several Chinese oil companies.

Officials at ASEAN's headquarters in Jakarta were not immediately available for comment.

Kirt Chanthearith, a spokesman for the Cambodian national police, said the police website was hacked about six months ago but he did not know who was responsible. "It was hacked and we lost some data", he said, without giving further details.

Officials in Thailand said they were not aware of any hacking of government or police websites.

In Manila, Allan Cabanlong, executive director of the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Centre, said there was no damage to government web sites in the Philippines but authorities were taking preventive measures.

"We've taken measures like cyber hygiene programs," he told Reuters. "We are conducting due diligence in the Philippines and we are clearing our network." 

Trump to extend stay in Philippines ...

... for East Asia meet

By Janvic Mateo and Christina Mendez (The Philippine Star) |

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“The White House confirmed that President Trump will be attending the East Asia Summit on Nov. 14,” Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Robespierre Bolivar told The STAR in a text message. AP, File

MANILA, Philippines — He’s not skipping the East Asia Summit (EAS) after all. United States President Donald Trump will extend his stay in Manila next week – contrary to an earlier announcement by the White House – to attend the EAS and other meetings on Nov. 14.

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“The White House confirmed that President Trump will be attending the East Asia Summit on Nov. 14,” Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Robespierre Bolivar told The STAR in a text message.

President Duterte felt “overwhelmed” by Trump’s decision, said Philippine ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez.

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Trump, who left the US on Friday for a trip to various Asian nations, confirmed that his delegation would be “staying an extra day in the Philippines.”

The White House earlier said Trump will be in Manila to attend the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Nov. 12 and the ASEAN-US summit the following day. He was originally scheduled to skip the EAS summit and leave on Nov. 14. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was supposed to represent Trump at the EAS.

Before flying to Manila, Trump will visit Japan, South Korea, China and Vietnam.

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His first official visit to Asia would be the longest made by a sitting American president in over two decades, according to reports.

The US President is also expected to have a bilateral meeting with President Duterte on Nov. 13.

Meanwhile, Romualdez said Trump’s decision to attend the gathering of world leaders in Manila “is a good development for our relations with the United States.” 

Trump’s decision will also improve further not just the Philippine-US relations, but also US relations with the other ASEAN and East Asian countries.

Singapore and Japan are also eagerly looking forward to Trump’s attendance at the EAS, Romualdez added.

The EAS is a forum held annually by leaders initially of 16 countries in the East Asian, Southeast Asian and South Asian regions. Membership expanded to 18 when the US and Russia joined the group in 2011. EAS meetings are held after ASEAN leaders’ meetings. The first summit was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Dec. 14, 2005.

Duterte, who had announced his “separation” from the US and pivot to China, was very happy upon receiving news on Friday evening that Trump would extend his stay in Manila, Romualdez said.

Duterte, he added, was looking forward to his bilateral meeting with Trump.

Narco-terrorism

One of the major issues the President hopes to discuss with Trump is narco-terrorism, Romualdez said.

Duterte had earlier lauded Trump’s decision to declare a national emergency over opioid abuse in the US, which the US leader called a “national shame.”

The Chief Executive has been vocal about eliminating the drug menace which, he said, has fueled terrorism in the country, especially in Mindanao as highlighted by the siege of Marawi City.

Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, for his part, said the ASEAN and EAS summits would provide a perfect time for ASEAN and partner countries to tackle unresolved issues.

He also hailed Trump’s decision to attend the EAS.

“The Palace welcomes the announcement of the White House that President Donald Trump would extend his stay in the Philippines to attend the East Asia Summit,” Andanar said.

He said Duterte “looks forward to engaging President Trump in the productive dialogue at the ASEAN-US Commemorative Summit and the EAS.”

“The Philippines, as host, chairman of the 31st ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings, is set to welcome all foreign leaders and delegates and to ensure that they would experience their Filipino hospitality at its finest,” he added.

Andanar also appealed to the public to cooperate with authorities and follow stricter security and traffic rules during the ASEAN summit.

“Of course, during that day or those days na meron tayo sa ASEAN, we also expect the cooperation of the public,” he said.

“We should show our best foot forward (because) this is the time that we can show the whole world that we are a very good country, a very nice country, disciplined people and we are very warm, alam na naman ng lahat ‘yan (everyone knows that). And we are very orderly,” Andanar added. Trump began his five-country Asian trip on Friday.

Trump left Joint Base Andrews, just outside Washington, for Hawaii. His next stop is Japan, followed by South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.

In his departure speech, Trump announced that he decided at the last minute to extend his stay in Asia, in the wake of criticism that he was not very serious about strengthening ties with Asian allies.

Prior to the ASEAN summit in Manila, Duterte and Trump are also expected to meet in Danang, Vietnam on Nov. 10 for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings.

APEC is the premier leaders-level forum for promoting cooperation in efforts to reduce barriers to trade and investment throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

With stricter security measures being readied for the ASEAN and EAS summits, thousands of workers are preparing nonetheless to welcome Trump with mass protests, especially in Metro Manila.

Elmer Labog, chairman of the International League of People’s Struggles (ILPS), said yesterday they are expecting around 10,000 protesters to meet Trump on Nov. 12.

“After threatening to unleash ‘fire and fury’ and ‘calm before the storm,’ Trump would be in for a surprise,” Labog said at a news forum in Quezon City, referring to Trump’s statements against North Korea.

Labog said they are set to hold a rally outside the US embassy in Manila on Nov. 10 as an initial salvo against Trump.

The ILPS will also hold a press briefing on the same day at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, expected to be attended by anti-war activists from South Korea, Japan, China, Australia and other countries.

Among the delegates to the conference is Erdelan Baran, a member of the Kurdistan National Congress who led campaigns against terrorism in Syria and Iraq.

Another participant is Toshide Fujiwara of the Asia-Wide Campaign who  is slated to share his insights regarding the presence of US military bases in Japan.

Labog said rallies will also be held on Nov. 13 in the vicinity of the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City and in Clark Field, Pampanga on Nov. 14.  –  With Rhodina Villanueva

Claims to leadership

FRI, NOVEMBER 3, 2017 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

IN MY OPINIONKlaus Döring

I am 64 now. I traveled all around the world. I met innumerable leaders in different companies and institutions. I experienced “good” and “bad” leaders.  My “good” leaders, just a handful – maybe, became my mentors. Each one in his or her own very special way. The others I sorted out. Forgot them….

Quitters never win and winners never quit! Basta! My first leader’s motif –  a publishing house director, whom I met during my college time. This saying has been imprinted in my mind and heart till today. As a result, when I started teaching German language in the Institute of Languages and Creative Arts at University of Southeastern Philippines in Davao City almost ten years ago, I used this and other sayings helping my students to remember these key points.

As I said before: just only a handful awesome leaders crossed my path. In Germany, in the U.S. and lately also here in the Philippines. I learnt a lot from them and their behavior. I also learnt from negative leaders, those, catching people doing things wrong. Why don’t leaders spend at least an hour a week wandering around their operation catching people doing things right AND wrong?

My first boss in Germany really did it this way. One could talk to him.

Many leaders wait to praise their people until they do things exactly right. Problem: mostly, one waits forever.

Up to now, I see a lot of unmotivated people at work or students at school, but I have never seen them after work or school! When office is done and school is over, people race to do such things that provide them with positive feedback on results.

My students in USEP are getting tired many times. I try to tell them, that learning is more important today than ever before. In the past, if a person was loyal and worked hard,his or her job was secure. Also during my time in the 1960s and 1970s or even early 1980s. Today, the skills you bring to the party constitute the only available form of job security. When you stop learning, you stop growing. Albert Einstein, once said: Never stop learning and ask questions. A perfect leader should be included. It really depends on how you talk to the people!

In one of my previous write-ups, I mentioned: Dream hard but work harder. I have to rethink this. How about this: Don’t work hard – work smarter. This saying is common sense but not common practice as America’s best-selling business author Ken Blanchard voiced it out. If you don’t take time out to think, strategize and prioritize, you’ll work a whole lot harder, without enjoying the benefits of a job smartly done. As an ordinary worker or as the Big Boss.

Leadership and communication are two areas in  which we can continue to develop virtually forever.

EU eyes 100M EURO grant for Marawi Rehabilitation

EU eyes €100-M grant for Marawi rehab

By Catherine Talavera (The Philippine Star)

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EU Ambassador Franz Jessen said the group is eyeing a grant that would focus on the rehabilitation of Marawi City as well as the whole of Mindanao. File

MANILA, Philippines — The European Union (EU) is looking to offer the Philippines a grant of as much as 100 million euros for the rehabilitation of war-torn Marawi City.

EU Ambassador Franz Jessen said the group is eyeing a grant that would focus on the rehabilitation of Marawi City as well as the whole of Mindanao.

“Right now, we are discussing internally in the EU, we’re talking about 55 million euros. Later on we intend to expand around 100 million euros for Mindanao and Marawi,” Jessen said on the sidelines of the 4th Energy Smart Philippines summit yesterday.

Jessen said they have already spent under 1 million euros on assisting Marawi in areas such as water purification.

“Things that are very practical that don’t affect foreign policy but it does affect the daily life of the people there,” he said.

Jessen emphasized the new assistance would focus on job creation in the region.

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“We look at this as partly reconstruction, but also to give the people hope and permanent jobs. So job creation would be a major focus. Energy will also be a major focus,” he said.

The EU ambassador stressed the importance of rehabilitating Marawi for the Philippines to attract more European investors into the country.

“The European investors don’t look at the country divided into different regions, but they look at it as one country. And it is important that there is peace across the country,” Jessen said.

Sought to comment on the issue of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano reportedly rejecting the EU’s grant to the country, Jessen said he met with the official two days ago.

“We had a very good discussion. We had a very intense discussion with Secretary Cayetano and (Finance) Secretary (Carlos) Dominguez and then we went through the different issues and we’re sort of going back to our corners and see how we can modify,” Jessen said.

Cayetano confirmed meeting the EU ambassador.

“If there are no conditionalities and it will not affect our sovereignty, then everyone is free to help,” Cayetano had said.

President Duterte has been ranting at the EU for criticizing his policy against illegal drugs.

In May, Duterte informed the EU that the Philippine government would no longer accept development aid from the body.

Jessen said the decision to cut aid from the EU would mean the loss of about 250 million euros worth of grants, mostly allocated to Muslim communities in Mindanao.

Jessen stressed the EU would continue its development program.

“Our development assistance is for the Philippines and that’s where we need to focus. It’s for companies, it’s for people, it’s health, it’s energy, it’s better education and it’s the reconstruction of Marawi,” Jessen said.

Military operations have cost P5 billion ($97 million) and the government estimates it could cost 10 times that much to rebuild Marawi.

Apart from the EU, Australia, the United States, Singapore, Russia, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank are among the countries and organizations that have offered to help.

In a related development, San Miguel Corp. (SMC) donated P2 million as seed capital for each family of the soldiers who died in the battle of Marawi.

“This project from San Miguel Corporation which will extend P330 million to 163 soldiers or police killed in action at P2 million as seed capital for a business startup assistance for each of family (of soldiers) killed in Marawi,” SMC president and chief executive officer Ramon Ang said.

Ang and outgoing Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Gen. Eduardo Año sealed the donation in a ceremony held at Camp Aguinaldo yesterday.

“This is the best we can honor them. We cannot replace them or can we repay them for their sacrifice, but we can honor them and help them fulfill their dream of better lives for their families,” Ang said.

Año, for his part, was all praises for the gesture.

“The donation of P2-million seed business capital would really go a long, long way for the bereaved families for them to be able to get going, building their own lives and show that their husbands or their sons who died fighting really did all their best for the country,” Año said.

“Mr. Ang, you’re an angel to our bereaved families. We cannot thank you enough, the whole AFP is really in gratitude… hence the AFP, as I said, will always be the professional armed forces that will be the protector of the people and the state,” he told Ang. – Jaime Laude

Who Are FHM's November Cover Girls?

German Legacy in Davao (V)

                                                                                                                                                                    

By Antonio V. Figueroa

The German Evangelic Church, in the sixties, donated a multi-million building and equipment to the Brokenshire Memorial Hospital, a Protestant hospital in Davao City. Part of that assistance came from the German Federal Government.

In 1969, the port of Davao got a share from the DM 12.5 million grant the German Government extended under a financial cooperation for the rehabilitation of ports.

Another funding amount DM 2 million was earmarked for the preparation of the Master Plan Study  of the port of Davao (Sasa wharf), which was prepared from June June 1979 to December 1980.

Product links

In terms of exports, the famous Chocolate de San Isidro produced by farmer cooperatives in Davao del Norte is now exported to the Netherlands and other European countries, including Germany and and Belgium.

And who would forget the iconic Mongol pencil that took the Philippines by storm during the American period? It was originally manufactured by Eberhard Faber GmbH, founded in 1922 in Neumarkt, near Nuremberg, Germany. The pencil factory was taken over by Staedtler, a stationery company with global reach, in 1978.

The US operations of the popular Eberhard Faber writing pencil were founded in New York City in 1861, on the site where the United Nations building now stands, by John Eberhard Faber (Dec. 6, 1822 - March 2, 1879). This was acquired in 1994 by Faber-Castell USA before it was purchased by Newell (Sanford) and rolled into the Paper Mate brand.

In transport, as Davao's traffic jam moves from bad to worse, German imprints are present also in costly, high-end cars, that negotiate, even if irregularly, the city's thoroughfares. Who can deny the pricey BMW (Bavaria Motor Works), Volkswagen (People's Car) and the Mercedes-Benz (built by German manufacturer Daimler AG) brands that have caught our fancy?

In the mall freezers, names like frankfurter (a small, cooked and smoke sausage of beef or pork named after Austrian-born Felix Frankfurter, a U.S. jurist, 1882-1965); bratwurst (a fine German pork sausage, typically fried or grilled), and wiener (a small, thin hot dog made of veal and pork) surely will remind you of their origin - that is, German-speaking territories.

Congregations

As a Catholic country, the Philippines has much in common with Germany, a predominantly Protestant country, when it comes to the spread of Christianity. Two of the three religious congregations founded by St. Arnold Jannsen have established branches in Davao City.

Jannsen, born on November 5, 1837 in Goch, Germany, was ordained priest on August 15, 1861. He founded three religious congregations, namely: the Societas Verbi Divini (SVD, 175), the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSps, 1889), and the Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration (SSpSAP, September 8, 1896).

The SVD priests took over the management of the Saint Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminary at Catalunan Grande, Davao City, in the 1980's from the Foreign Mission Society of Quebec (PME Fathers), while the SSpSAp, also known as the Pink Sisters, holds court at the Holy Spirit Adoration Convent, along Seminary Road, Catalunan Grande, Davao City.

In the field of Education, the German language, has been institutionalized at the state-funded University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP) at Obrero, Davao City. One of the institute's most visible professors is Professor Klaus Döring, an expatriate journalist, court translator and interpreter certified by the German, Swiss and Austrian embassies in Manila, a businessman who has made Davao City as his home since 1999 and since June 2017, taking office as German Honorary Consul to the island of Mindanao.

Sara Duterte threatens to shut down Mindanao's tallest skyscraper

By Davao Start

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The developer behind Mindanao’s tallest skyscraper project is threatened of a denial of their right to operate in the city if they fail to follow the local government’s order to hoist down a crane that is said to have obstructed air traffic here.

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio issued a 5-day ultimatum to Aeon Towers developer FTC Group of Companies on Tuesday, October 24, to lower down a crane mounted on top of their 33-storey project or else the city will carry out the dismantling at the expense of the firm.

“If they won’t lower the crane, I will never allow to open their building. They will never be allowed to do business in Davao City,” Duterte-Carpio said on Tuesday, October 24.

The boom crane is being used by the developer to complete construction works of Aeon Towers, a P3.1-billion condominium project estimated to be be finished by the end of this year. It is expected to become Mindanao’s tallest skyscraper.

However, since Feburary this year, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has sent notices to the developer to have their cranes lowered, if not removed, as pilots of commercial airlines point out it is obstructing air traffic. The project sits some 7 kilometers away from Francisco Bangoy International Airport, also known as the Davao International Airport.

Franklin Anota Sr., air traffic section chief of CAAP in Davao City, said a “misapproach” issue has been recorded in January, causing delays in some of the flights.

This was confirmed to Rappler by Cebu Pacific Air’s spokesperson, Charo Lagamon.

“For Cebu Pacific, the flights were not diverted, but (we) just changed the approach that increased risks (in flying),” she said.

According to CAAP Davao, aircraft coming outside Davao land at the airport’s Runway 05, and take off on Runway 33. But with the presence of the said crane, aircrafts landings have been transferred to Runway 23 to avoid the risks of hitting the said equipment.

This issue was tackled Tuesday at the City Council where officials grilled Aeon Tower’s project manager Engineer Buboy Espinosa.

During the session, it was learned that FTC did not take immediate actions despite’s CAAP’s previous notices earlier this year, earning the ire of Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte.

“We can instruct the City Engineers (Office) and ask the help of the DPWH to demolish your crane. Now which is cheaper, you remove your crane or let DPWH remove your crane and you’ll pay for the expenses?,” said Duterte.

To the company’s defense, Espinosa clarified that the developer is willing to dismantle the cranes but is asking “consideration” as the cranes weigh 1-2 tons.

“What we are asking to the LGU is to give us little time because dismantling of the tower crane is not easy since its parts are heavy and can’t be lifted by ordinary equipment,” he said.

But Duterte-Carpio did not mince words Tuesday, and said that if the developer fails to meet the city’s 5-day deadline, they would proceed with demolishing the crane. 

Jack Ma tests internet in the Philippines: Not good!

By Ian Nicolas Cigaral (philstar.com) 

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In this 2015 photo, Jack Ma participates at a United Nations climate change event. UN photo/CC

MANILA, Philippines — Chinese tech magnate Jack Ma tried to test the Philippines' internet speed upon his arrival here, and he was not happy about the result.

Ma made his assessment during his lecture at the De La Salle University on Wednesday, which was also attended by executives of the Philippines' telecoms duopoly—PLDT, Inc. and Globe Telecom, Inc.

"I arrived late last night and I tried to test the speed of Philippine [internet], it's not good," Ma said, drawing cheers from his audience.

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Last May, cloud service provider and content delivery network Akamai Intelligent Platform reported that the Philippines has the slowest and most intermittent internet connection speed in the world.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier threatened both PLDT and Globe with new competition from China if their services do not improve.

Last year, these two firms together agreed to buy conglomerate San Miguel Corp. out of the sector for $1.5 billion, pledging to invest heavily to boost internet service. The acquisition was the country's biggest corporate transaction in nearly three years.

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The Court of Appeals, in a decision dated October 18, ordered the Philippine Competition Commission to permanently stop its review of the deal and recognize its validity.

Opportunities

Despite the bad internet service in the country, Ma said he sees this as an opportunity for concerned parties to improve Manila's internet connectivity.

He also said it would be "unfair" to blame "anybody" for the country's poor internet connection as recalled starting his e-commerce business at a time when China's internet speed was "much worse" than the Philippines'.

"But this is the potential, this is the opportunity and I encourage your government, entrepreneurs, everybody that we work together to improve the speed and coverage of the internet," the Chinese billionaire said.

"Opportunities exist in the areas most people complain," he added.

"We have to make sure that everybody is connected."

Automation against corruption

Still on the topic of technology, Ma also urged the Philippines to promote cashless transactions to eradicate corruption.

"We should make the Philippines a cashless society. When you have cashless society, [there is] no corruption. A lot easier," he said.

"So Philippines, I think you have the opportunity to make the world's best fintech (financial technology) because you have so many mobile phones. You have more than 7,000 islands. It's impossible for banks to have offices in 7,000 [islands] covering everywhere. But mobile phones [can] cover everywhere," he added.

According to international magazine Forbes, Ma is back on top as Asia's richest businessman as he continued to grow the world's largest e-commerce businesses, Alibaba Group. His real-time net worth is at $38.3 billion.

He last visited the country in November 2015 to speak before the business leaders at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit. Ma was among the speakers along with former US President Barack Obama.