Hackers claiming to be a Philippine chapter of the hacktivist
collective Anonymous defaced the website of the Metropolitan Waterworks
and Sewerage System (MWSS) over the weekend, supposedly over unjustified
high charges by the agency's concessionaires.
The MWSS site (www.mwss.gov.ph) has
been hacked many times in the past, but this is the first time that the
perpetrators left a detailed political manifesto explaining their
actions.
Visitors to the website were greeted
with a logo of the international Anonymous collective, but with the word
"Philippines" on the logo's upper part, along with a link that offers
an explanation for the attack.
An unlisted
YouTube video was embedded in the defaced page, explaining for slightly
over three minutes the motive for the attack.
Here is the message attached to the YouTube video:
"Hello
citizens of the Philippines... We are Anonymous! The website of the
Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System was defaced due to the
following reasons. MWSS regulatory office head Manuel Quizon admitted
both Maynilad and Manila Water continue to charge consumers around 1.52
pesos per cubic meter for the 2 cancelled projects. Quizon explains this
can be corrected through a rate rebasing which is currently being done
by the MWSS where under-recovery and over-recovery can be settled
through tariff rates for the next five years of both concessionaires.
Maynilad
has refused to answer queries about the charges but Manila Water says
all charges collected from water consumers are authorized by MWSS as the
regulatory body. Consumer group Water for All Refund Movement or WARM
said Maynilad and Manila Water should stop the collection of these
amounts and immediately refund around 6 billion pesos which is the
estimated amount collected so far from 2008. The group asked why
consumers should pay for a future project that the concessionaires and
MWSS are espousing. According to the group, water rates have gone up to
37 pesos to 48 pesos per cubic meter since the two concessionaires took
over water services.
WARM
has already filed syndicated estafa against top officials of both
Maynilad and Manila Water but the QC prosecutors office has yet to act
on it... Why should consumers pay for shelved water projects? Another
reason is the excessive benefits given to members of its board. Each
board member is paid 9,000 pesos per regular committee meeting and
15,000 pesos for board meeting. MWSS trustees would schedule 4 committee
meetings in a day, which would total earnings of P36,000 a day.
We
are fighting for the truth and free speech. People should not fear the
government. The government should fear their people. Anonymous is not a
group. Anonymous is not an organization. Anonymous is an idea. And ideas
are bulletproof.
We
are anonymous, we are legion, we do not forgive, we do not forget,
United as one, divided by none, the corrupt fear us, the honest support
us, the heroic joins us, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System,
it's too late to expect us!"
