A criminal complaint was filed against six people including two senior high school students identified by the police for posting online bomb threats and intent to kill people that sent parents and children into panic in Taguig in November.
Last Nov. 7, a Facebook account under the name Sofia Smith commented on a post by the Taguig City government.
“Papatayin ko lahat ng mga estudyante sa taguig signal village taguig city (I will kill all students at taguig signal village taguig city),” Sofia Smith posted.
The account added, “Kagaya ng nangyare sa thailand humanda kayo magpapasabog ako dyan sa signal papaptyin ko kayong lahat. Lahat ng estudyante (Like what happened in Thailand, get ready, I will explode a bomb at Signal. I will kill you all. All students),”
“Papatayin ko lahat ng mga estudyante sa sa signal humanda kayong lahat hahaha papatyin ko lahat lahat (I will kill all students at Signal. Be ready. I will kill everyone), the account added.
After the bomb threats were made, the Taguig police and the Philippine National Police (PNP) Anti-Cybercrime Group investigated it and were able to identify the persons who were allegedly responsible.
As a result, the Southern District Anti-Cybercrime Team (SDACT) together with the complainant from the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group filed a complaint against six persons before the Taguig Office of the City Prosecutor.
They were identified as a 16-year-old senior high school student, a 14-year-old female senior high school student, Rizaldy Canto, Theresa Canto, Jessa Canto and Jessica Canto.
The criminal complaint charged the six for violations of Republic Act No. 11479 (Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020) and Presidential Decree No. 1727 (The Malicious Dissemination of False Information of the Willful Making of any Threat Concerning Bombs, Explosives or Any Similar Device or Means of Destruction), both in relation to Section 6 of Republic Act 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012).
According to the police, the Canto family is allegedly responsible for the hoax bomb threat in Taguig.
“Mariin nating ipinapaalala sa lahat na ang pagbibiro tungkol sa bomba ay may kaakibat na parusang multa at pagkakakulong kaya’t hinihingi namin na sana ay huwag na itong mangyari muli (We are strongly reminding everyone that making a joke about a bomb has an equal punishment of fine and imprisonment, that is why we ask that we hope this will not happen again),” said SPD chief Brig. Gen. Kirby John Kraft.