By Rey Panaligan
Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra on Wednesday (June 24) directed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to set up a system of monitoring the spread of false or malicious information on social media for prosecution of those involved.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra (TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO /MANILA BULLETIN)
The system should be able to establish the source; determine if there is a pattern, habit or scheme; and take appropriate steps to preserve evidence of wrongful behavior, he said.
Guevarra’s directive to the NBI was his response to journalists’ who asked him if the Department of Justice (DOJ) will help Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo in tracking down reports that she donated “spoiled food” to frontliners at the Diliman Doctors Hospital in Quezon City.
“It is not necessary that VP Leni expressly ask for NBI assistance” as the NBI will take action on the fake news circulating on social media, the justice secretary said.
Vice President Robredo has denied that she went to the Diliman Doctors Hospital and donated spoiled food.
She urged the public to report to her office those spreading lies against her and other government officials.
Published reports stated that one of those who allegedly spread the rumors on the donated spoiled food through social media was a certain “Jacques Phillip.”
Reacting to the social media reports, Robredo said: “If there was no malice, you should have checked first before posting. You should know that posting fake news makes you criminally liable. Let us report him plus all those who reposted. Take screen shots of everything, including those who reposted because we will go after all of them.”
At the same time, Robredo said “we will likewise go after those who posted on Twitter. Please help us gather all evidence… we will no longer tolerate any of these.”
Last June 23, the Diliman Doctors Hospital denied the rumors on spoiled food.
“Our institution received food donation on three occasions from the Office of the Vice President, but none of which have been found to be spoiled,” the hospital said in a statement.