Charges eyed vs student for false info about Abu Sayyaf

FACEBOOK POST that circulated online from the 17-year old IT student (GRABBED FROM ARGAO POLICE STATION FACEBOOK ACCOUNT).

The Carcar City Police is studying what action to take against a teenager, who posted on her Facebook page a false information about a supposed Abu Sayyaf group allegedly cornering a Ceres Bus in Barangay Ocaña, Carcar City, Cebu.

Chief Insp. Jose Liddawa, Carcar City Police Chief, said they were considering pressing charges against the 17-year-old Information Technology and Communications student of a school in Argao town, who posted the false information on her FB page last Nov. 7, to stop others from also spreading false information on social media.

A person could be held liable for spreading a hoax or false information under two penal laws–Presidential Decree No. 90 of 1973, which penalizes rumor mongering and spreading false information and Republic Act No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

“But if we don’t do anything, this might lead other malicious Facebook users to follow and spread more false information,” said Liddawa.

Liddawa said that there were never any Abu Sayyaf group in the city and that what happened last Monday night was only a vehicular accident. “I was at the police station that night and we’ve never tracked such report. Malakas lang siguro yung imagination nung batang ‘yun,” Liddawa said in a phone interview.

Aside from the Carcar police, the Argao police is also investigating the teenager for posting the false information online.

Senior Insp. Wether Grapa of the Argao Police said they identified the female teenager, who is from Alcoy town in southern Cebu, and asked her why she posted the false information.

“She said a friend told her about the information. Her friend was crying when she phoned her. Perturbed, she immediately posted the information on her personal account to warn others as well,” Grapa said in a phone interview.
The girl posted the status update on November 7, Monday, at around 6 p.m. which was immediately shared by several netizens.

In her post, the girl narrated an incident about a Ceres bus being surrounded by a group of Abu Sayyaf members in Barangay Ocaña. According to her, the terrorist group was not able to penetrate the bus because it was locked but managed to block its way so that it couldn’t leave. She then ended her status with words “This is so true! Promise! Way binuang (no joke)!”

Grapa said the girl apologized for her action and affirmed the information to be false.