PNP flags ‘sensationalized’ crime rise

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Friday voiced concerns about the increasing trend of sensationalism on social media, particularly concerning criminal investigations.

During a press briefing led by the Department of the Interior and Local Government, PNP officials stressed the dangers of misinformation and the excessive amplification of unsolved crimes online.

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

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

To combat this, the PNP announced the creation of the Joint Anti-Fake News Advisory Action Committee as a preemptive measure.

Turning to election security, Alba outlined the PNP’s comprehensive deployment plan for the upcoming midterm elections. Over 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 identified risks in the region.

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

Alba identified 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 added that their force is actively investigating incidents related to the election season, including the recent fatal shooting of a mayor in Cagayan province.