Caloocan City Mayor Dale Gonzalo “Along” Malapitan on Monday, Aug. 29, asked the city residents to refrain from spreading false information on social media.
He made his call after the Caloocan City Police Station (CCPS) and Barangay 162 officials found out that the alleged attempted abduction of a 13-year-old girl on Tullahan Road in the said barangay last Aug. 22 was only made up by the victim.
Police said the victim earlier claimed that she was on her way home from school when three men on board a white van tried to take her. She said she was rescued by a tricycle driver.
“Ayon sa ulat ng barangay, maliban sa pagtatanong sa mga tao sa sinasabing pinangyarihan ng insidente at pagsusuri sa mga CCTV sa lugar, umamin na rin ang bata na walang naganap na tangkang pagdukot (According to the barangay report, apart from the interviews with the people at the alleged scene of the incident and reviews of CCTVs in the area, the child also admitted that no abduction attempt took place),” Malapitan said in a statement of Monday.
“Nakikiusap po tayo sa publiko na maging mapanuri sa mga balita at mga nababasa lalo na sa Facebook. Huwag din magpakalat ng mga maling impormasyon na maaaring pagsimulan ng pagkabahala o gulo (We ask the public to assess the stories they read especially on Facebook. Don't spread false information that can start alarm or trouble),” he added.
CCPS Sta. Quiteria Sub-station (SS 6) commander Maj. Brian Ramirez told Manila Bulletin on Sunday, Aug. 28, that the incident had already made rounds on social media although they were still verifying the details from the 13-year-old girl.
In a press conference on the Monday, Barangay 162 Chairman Ronald Nagusara said that there’s no such an attempt that occurred on the day the incident was reported, according to some bystanders, tricycle drivers, and personnel of commercial establishments in the area.
“May nakaparada po talagang van. Kung naalala niyo po that day, na-suspend po ‘yung klase, so uwian po. Pagdaan nia po doon sa van, parang biniro siya nung, biniro lang siya nung ano pasahero (There is actually a van parked. If you remember that day, class was suspended, so people went home. When she passed by the van, the passenger allegedly teased her,” Nagusara said.
“Tapos ano na po natakot na ‘yung bata, pero ‘yung van naman po umalis na din (Then the child got scared, but the van also left),” he added.
He also said that the person who first posted the incident on Facebook has already made a statement that the abduction attempt is not true.
Meanwhile, Col. Samuel Mina, CCPS chief, said that he instructed the SS6 commander to conduct an investigation and backtracking upon receiving the incident report.
They found out that the CCTV footages in the area and the result of the investigation did not match with the victim’s claims.
“Bilang Ama ng Caloocan, tinitiyak ko po sa inyo na ginagawa ng inyong Pamahalaang Lungsod, katuwang ng Caloocan City Police sa pangunguna ni Police Colonel Samuel Mina ang lahat upang manatiling payapa at ligtas ang buong Caloocan (As the father of Caloocan, I assure you that your city government, in collaboration with the Caloocan City Police led by Police Colonel Samuel Mina, is doing everything to keep the whole Caloocan peaceful and safe),” Malapitan said.
“Matatandaang nauna na rin nating inatasan ang buong kapulisan na paigtingin ang police visibility sa ating lungsod para sa kapanatagan ng mga mamamaya (It can be remembered that we previously instructed the entire police force to intensify police visibility in our city for the safety of the citizens),” the mayor added.
Meanwhile, Col. Ponce Rogelio Penones Jr., acting Norther Police District (NPD) director, said that as of date, there are no kidnapping or alleged abduction incidents reported in the cities of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela (Camanava).
Read more: Caloocan police chief reminds residents to be responsible social media users, remain vigilant