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PNP: Photos of slain people circulating in social media not the missing sabungeros

Philippines | National

PNP: Photos of slain people circulating in social media not the missing sabungeros

By Aaron Recuenco

The Philippine National Police (PNP) denied on Friday, Feb. 25, that the photos of dead people circulating in social media belong to the cockfighting aficionados who were abducted over alleged game-fixing activities.

At the same time, PNP chief information officer Brig. Gen. Roderick Augustus Alba warned of legal consequences against those who posted the photos in the social media.

"The PNP will be tracing the source of a disinformation attempt to muddle the ongoing police investigation into the case of missing sabungeros (cockfighting aficionados). The author of this disinformation will himself be investigated for his actions and possible link to the case of the missing persons.," said Alba in a statement.

"The PNP deplores this act of disinformation that not only adds to the agony of the families of the missing persons but also serves to mislead police investigators who are focused on finding out the truth behind the case of the missing cockfight gamers," he added.

The gruesome photos showed nine dead people lined up while being checked by the local police. The posts allegedly made them appear to be the cadavers of missing sabungeros whose bodies were found in Tanay, Rizal.

But Alba said the initial investigation conducted disclosed that the dead bodies belong to the victims of the ambush in Maguindanao on the group of a Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) commander on Feb. 12.

Alba said the move is an apparent attempt to derail the investigation on the missing sabungeros.

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