Statement by Filipino BC OIPC Report on Privacy Breaches Following the April 26 Tragedy

FEBRUARY 19, 2026

Filipino BC on the OIPC Report on Privacy Breaches Following the April 26 Tragedy

Filipino BC has reviewed the report released by BC’s Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) regarding the privacy breaches that occurred following the April 26 tragedy after the Lapu Lapu Day Festival.

The OIPC is an independent oversight body responsible for ensuring that public institutions in BC comply with provincial access to information and privacy laws, including the protection of personal health information. Its role is to investigate breaches, monitor compliance, and make recommendations to strengthen privacy safeguards across public systems.

First and foremost, we continue to hold in our hearts the victims, survivors, and families affected by the events of April 26, 2025. That day changed lives forever. In the aftermath, many individuals received urgent medical care while in shock, pain and profound distress. 

It is deeply troubling to learn that half the individuals treated had their privacy breached and their private health records unlawfully accessed. According to the Commissioner's findings, 36 individuals within the provincial health system wrongfully accessed the confidential records of 16 patients. These community members were at their most vulnerable and their privacy should have been safeguarded without exception.

These findings confirm that the breaches were not caused by system or technical error, but by individuals accessing records without authorization. Personal curiosity must never override the dignity of victims. For survivors of violence and trauma, control over personal information is part of restoring a sense of safety. When that privacy is breached, it can retraumatize and erode trust in systems that people depend on for care.

​​The report also identifies gaps in training, oversight and safeguards within provincial health authorities and sets out recommendations to prevent this kind of snooping from happening again. We acknowledge that the health authorities have accepted these recommendations and look forward to further updates on their implementation and progress. 

At the same time, this report reflects a broader reality that many families and individuals affected by the tragedy have experienced since April 26: navigating fragmented systems during an already overwhelming time. Families and individuals have had to move between health care providers, insurance processes, compensation programs, and government supports. Too often, they have encountered delays, inconsistent communication and a lack of coordinated, culturally safe, trauma-informed support.

For families already dealing with loss, injury, uncertainty, and recovery, these systemic barriers compound harm. 

We therefore call on the Province of BC and all health authorities to urgently undertake a comprehensive review of how all systems supporting victims and families function during crises — including health care, privacy protections, insurance, compensation and community services — to ensure they are coordinated, accessible, culturally responsive and trauma-informed from the outset.

In moments of public tragedy, there is often intense pressure for information, details and updates. While transparency from institutions is essential, it must never come at the expense of the personal privacy of those who have endured trauma. The public is not owed the medical information, recovery timelines or intimate details of victims, survivors and families.

Social services and health care systems that provide care and support, including Filipino BC, carry both an ethical and, in many cases, legal responsibility to safeguard the personal information entrusted to us. That duty does not lessen in moments of public attention; it becomes even more important. Protecting confidentiality is part of protecting safety. 

For these reasons, Filipino BC prioritizes privacy over performative transparency. We do so because our first responsibility is to the privacy, dignity and consent of the individuals impacted — not to public curiosity, speculation or pressure. Out of respect for those affected, we will not comment on specific cases or personal circumstances. 

Filipino BC remains committed to walking alongside our community in healing. We will continue to advocate for strong privacy protections, coordinated supports and systems that truly serve and protect those impacted. Respect, dignity and safety must remain at the centre of our collective response — now and always.