Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. on Friday called on the public, especially netizens, to be wary of misinformation circulating on social media following the incident at the Senate in Pasay City.
Nartatez said he had directed the Anti-Cybercrime Group to assist the Department of Information and Communications Technology in conducting cyber patrols against content creators allegedly exploiting the incident to sow fear, incite violence, and mislead the public.
“This is not the time for misinformation and an opportunity to sow fear and incite violence. Rather, this is the time for us to take a stand in fighting for what is right and just. On the part of the PNP, we will ensure accountability against those who would dare do that,” Nartatez said.
He added that online monitoring would be intensified to help identify content that could affect public order and compromise the integrity of the ongoing investigation into the shooting incident last Wednesday, 13 May.
Nartatez said the PNP remains in constant coordination with the DICT in addressing online misinformation, as the agency reiterated its call for the responsible use of social media amid heightened public attention surrounding the Senate incident.
The DICT earlier warned the public against the rapid spread of unverified information and fake news related to the case.
Nartatez also urged the public to remain calm, emphasizing that authorities are conducting a thorough investigation to determine the full circumstances before and during the incident at the Senate.
He said the move is in line with the directive of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to investigate the incident and keep the public informed.
Nartatez added that posts and other content related to the incident should only be trusted if they come from legitimate sources such as news organizations and government agencies.
“We ask all our kababayan to refrain from engaging in speculations and remain calm instead as we commit to ferret out the truth about what happened. We also commit to making public the results of the investigation,” Nartatez said.