The person who posted assassination threat in social media platform TikTok against presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said on Wednesday, Feb. 9.
The identity or any personal circumstance of the person was not disclosed by Guevarra “pending evaluation by NBI.”
“The owner of the BBM (Marcos) death threat account voluntarily turned himself in to the NBI yesterday. He was advised to secure the assistance of counsel,” Guevarra said.
He added that “the person is not under arrest since he went to the NBI to give his side.”
The DOJ’s Office of Cybercrime (DOJ-OOC) had asked the NBI and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to investigate the threat.
DOJ-OOC Officer-in-Charge Director Charito A. Zamora earlier said the move was made after her office received a report from a concerned citizen last Jan. 28 about the threat.
Zamora said the threat was found in the comment section of the video posted by the user @joiedevivre420 in the social media app TikTok.
She said the comment stated: “Nagmemeeting kami araw araw para paghandaang ipa-aasasinate naming si BBM humanda kayo (We are meeting everyday day to prepare for the assassination of Marcos. Get ready).”
“We also emailed the Tik Tok Law Enforcement Outreach and requested that the data related to the subject account be preserved pending investigation by the law enforcement agents concerned,” she also said.