The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Friday raised concerns over the growing trend of sensationalism on social media, particularly in relation to criminal cases.

During a press briefing led by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), PNP officials emphasized the risks posed by misinformation and the undue amplification of unsolved crimes online.

Roderick Augustus B. Alba, director for Police Community Relations, said that while the PNP remains committed to transparency, the premature spread of unverified information online is complicating their work.

“We rely on the data. There are some cases, unfortunately, being sensationalized, especially when crimes are not immediately solved,” Alba stated. “When that happens, information spreads quickly — some of it becomes fake, and details get added. People [become] misinformed, and fake news emerges.”

To address this, the PNP said one of their preemptive actions is the creation of the Joint Anti-Fake News Advisory Action Committee.

Security for Elections

As for election-related security, Alba outlined the PNP’s comprehensive deployment plan. More than 140,000 personnel will be stationed across 37,528 voting centers nationwide.

“We are also prepared to assist the Commission on Elections (COMELEC),” Alba said. “We’ve trained 7,043 personnel to assist the electoral process as part of the electoral board.”

In the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), 3,774 officers will be deployed due to the region’s identified risks.

According to COMELEC data, there are currently 338 areas of concern, with 34 classified as high-risk (Red Category), 139 moderately risky, and 185 under low-risk monitoring.

Alba pointed to intense political rivalries, particularly in BARMM, as a primary concern. “We are monitoring active groups not only in BARMM but also in Region 4-A, Region 3, Region 7, and Region 9. Some have surrendered and turned over their firearms, but others remain under observation.”

The PNP official said their force is closely investigating incidents related to the election season, including a recent shooting in Cagayan that left a sitting mayor dead.

“Our top leadership is going to the area to follow up on the investigation. A Special Investigation Task Group has been formed, and our regional director is taking the lead.”