And so it begins: Davao City vlogger charged in first case filed by PNP's anti-fake news group
At A Glance
- The male vlogger from Davao City allegedly posted fake information about the supposed police raid on the house of former president Rodrigo Duterte on April 30
The Philippine National Police (PNP) filed on Tuesday, May 6, a criminal case against a male vlogger based in Davao City for allegedly spreading fake information on the supposed raid on the house of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
PNP chief information officer Col. Randulf Tuaño said the criminal complaint against the vlogger is the first case filed by the newly-created Joint Anti-Fake News Action Committee (JAFNAC).
Tuaño did not give the name of the vlogger but said the case was for violation of Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code (Unlawful Use of Means of Publication and Unlawful Utterances), in relation to Section 6 of Republic Act No. 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 and was filed before the Davao City Prosecutor’s Office.
He added that the name will be disclosed once an arrest warrant is issued.
The male vlogger has 218,000 followers and the case stemmed from his post that around 30 personnel of the Criminal Investigation and Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and 90 members of the police’s elite Special Action Force (SAF) raided the house of Duterte in Davao City on April 30.
As a result, Tuaño said there are some supporters of the former president who went to the area, only to find out that the post was not true.
PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil earlier declared a war against fake news after a series of online attacks using fake information against the police and the government over alleged worsening peace and order situation in the country.
Marbil said the JAFNAC was an initiative aimed at curbing the deliberate spread of disinformation and malicious content across various media platforms.
“The internet is not a safe haven for lawlessness. Those who use it to mislead, sow confusion, or incite unrest will be held accountable under the law,” said Marbil
“Freedom of expression does not mean freedom from consequences. The PNP will continue to take lawful and decisive action against those who weaponize fake news to disrupt public order,” he added.