SENATORS are moving to dig deep into reports on the alleged hacking and potential misuse of vital information contained in the voters’ data base supposedly secured by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Sen. Leila M. de Lima confirmed over the weekend that the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms, which she chairs, is poised to conduct a thorough inquiry into the breach owing to its serious implications.

“In fact, I plan to file a resolution [calling for an investigation into the Comelec data leak],” she said in a text message to the BusinessMirror on Sunday.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente C. Sotto III, rules committee chairman, affirmed support for a full-blown investigation into the Comelec data-hacking case, indicating he will readily refer the resolution to de Lima’s committee when senators reconvene regular sessions next week.

The plenary referral will pave the way for Senate investigators to summon Chairman Andres D. Bautista and other Comelec officials, as well as poll watchdog groups, to testify and update senators on the voters’ data-hacking case.

Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian suggested that the Senate needs to look into the matter in order to “make sure that other government organizations have the capability to protect our privacy and proprietary information.”

“This [Comelec hacking case] is cause of concern for all of us who share personal information to government,” Gatchalian added.

Apart from Comelec officials, Senate investigators are keen on hearing testimonies from officials of the National Privacy Commission, which earlier found Bautista liable for the data breach by still-unidentified hacker suspects last March.

Bautista, however, remained unfazed daring victims of the so-called Comeleak to try and impeach him for failing to take protective measures to prevent the hacking case involving a major breach of the poll body’s voter-data base ahead of the May 9 national elections.