The alleged failure by the state-owned APO Product Unit to install a cybersecurity system in the printing of passports has placed in jeopardy the personal data of at least 28 million Filipino passport holders.

Foreign Affairs Asst. Secretary Adelio Cruz of the Office of the Consular Affairs made the admission during a Senate hearing on the proposed 2025 budget of the Department of Foreign Affairs on Thursday (September18).

Cruz said the APO Production Unit, a government-owned and -controlled corporation has refused to acknowledge blame for the grave oversight.

The DFA official told the Senate Subcommittee on Finance chaired by Sen. Loren Legarda that the DFA has aired its serious concern over the problem.

“We are really concerned with the security of our more than 28 million passport holders’ data. It’s something that we really want to protect,” he said.

Cruz noted that a number of government agencies have already been victimized by hackers.

He then candidly stated that the DFA is"not happy” with the GOCC tasked to do the passport printing job.

“We are seriously looking into the possibility of employing a cybersecurity system for all our passport data,” said Cruz.

Legarda admitted that she has also been hearing about the security threats on passport data.

“Is there a sale ongoing of any information that the GOCC holds?” she asked.

The APO Production Unit is in charge of printing Philippine passports although it merely passes the job to a contractor notwithstanding concerns already aired on the setup by the Commission on Audit.

The APO Production Unit is under the Presidential Communications Office.

"Unfortunately, the would not admit to the gravity or to the degree of the breach. We believe that's being sugar coated,” Cruz told senators.

The DFA executive advised the Senate to inquire into the issue from the APO Production Unit when its officials and those from its mother unit PCO is called to explain their 2025 budget.