Pateros LGU belies reports of attempted kidnapping of students

The Pateros municipal government belied reports of alleged attempted abduction or kidnapping of students of a public elementary school. 

“Dahil  sa kumakalat na balita na nagkaroon ng pagtatangkang pagdukot o pangingidnap ng mga mag aaral na elementarya ng Pateros Elementary School sa Barangay San Pedro, ay nagsagawa ng agarang imbestigasyon ang Philippine National Police sa utos ng ating Punong Bayan at lumabas sa resulta ng imbestigasyon na ito ay walang katotohanan (Due to the circulating news that there was an attempted kidnapping or abduction of elementary school students of Pateros Elementary School in Barangay San Pedro, the Philippine National Police conducted an immediate investigation on the orders of our Mayor and the results of the investigation revealed that this is untrue),” the municipal government posted on Facebook. 

Pateros Elementary School (Screenshot from Google Maps)

It added, “Patuloy ang pagbabantay ng ating mga kinauukulan upang maagapan ang mga ganitong pangyayari sa ating bayan. Nakikiusap din po tayo na iwasan natin ang pagkakalat ng mga ganitong pangyayari kung ito ay hindi natin natitiyak at tayo ay walang basehan (Our authorities are continuing to monitor such incidents in our town. We also ask that we refrain from spreading such incidents if we are not sure and we have no basis).” 

In the past two weeks, rumors of alleged abduction of children in Taguig and Muntinlupa circulated on social media. 

A vlogger issued an apology after uploading a video of an alleged kidnapping in Purok 4 Sucat, Muntinlupa. 

“I apologize  to the public  fake news  poh yong vedio  na na post  Un Verified Vedio  Hindi poh  sa munting lupa  nang yari at walang insidente  na ganyan d2  sa sucat muntinlupa (I apologize to the public. The video that was posted was fake news. Unverified video. It did not happen in Muntinlupa and there was no such incident here in Sucat, Muntinlupa),” vlogger Daisy posted on her Facebook account on Feb. 4. 

The Muntinlupa Police said, “We strongly urge the public to be cautious, vigilant, and responsible when encountering unverified videos, particularly those involving minors or alleged crimes. Sharing unverified content can have harmful consequences.” 

In Taguig, Barangay Central Bicutan issued an apology after it warned the public about an alleged incident of child abduction that turned out to be false. 

“We sincerely apologize for the previous public announcement regarding the alleged incident of a child being taken by a White Van at Bañares St, Central Bicutan. After further investigation, we have determined that it was a different and isolated case but not related to kidnapping. We confirm that no such incident has occurred,” it said. 

It added, “We deeply regret any distress or confusion this may have caused to the community. We take full responsibility for the misinformation and are committed to ensuring that only accurate and reliable information is shared in the future. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we continue to work toward fostering a well-informed and safe community.”