No social media posts on bomb threats, netizens told

A screenshot of Luijie Gurrea’s post which he already took down as of 2 p.m.

NETIZENS were urged not to spread bomb threats and terror attacks for the duration of the Sinulog.

The Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO) made the public appeal in response to a Facebook post by a certain Luijie Gurrea which went viral.

“I understand his concerns. His tips are valid. But it is not the official statement of the government particularly the Cebu City DRRMO,” said CCDRRMO head Nagiel Bañacia.

Banacia said official announcements or advisories should only come from law enforcement authorities like the police and the military. Still, he said being careful is still advised during the activities.

“Let’s be vigilant, stay safe, enjoy the Sinulog in deep faith that Sto. Niño will keep us from any harm,” Bañacia said.

Gurrea’s status, which he posted around Sunday midnight, gained more than 2,700 likes and 4,080 shares as of 2 p.m. on Monday.

In his post, he said, “ATTENTION!!!!! To those who are planning to join SINULOG and party, KEEP SAFE. I can’t afford to lose a friend, crush, loved one’s or even enemy. LET’S BE MINDFUL. BE VIGILANT. BE SAFE CEBU. So Im posting this one here.”

A portion of his message read “Guys, gikan mi meeting sa rescue group namo and with some heads up gikan sa partners namo sa lain2 grupo (pnp, disaster, etc etc).. high alert ang cebu ron tungod sa sinulog.. starting present hangtod mahuman ang event.. possible bombings sa cebu.. dili nani gikan sa circulating email and what not, gikan nani sa government najud mismo.”

(Guys, we just attended a meeting of our rescue group and with some heads up from our partners like the PNP, disaster..Cebu is on high alert now because of Sinulog…it’s from now until Sinulog ends..there are possible bombings in Cebu. This is not from an email but from the government.)

“During sa parade najud and stuff, most likely ari ni sila motarget kung asa ang media.. d momater sa terorista kung unsa kadaghan ila target but adto sila kung asa ang media para makita jud ang panghitabo sa TV and what not.. heads up lang ni and be cautious lang.”

(It will happen during the grand parade, most likely targeting the media. The terrorists are not looking at the number of victims but are targeting the media to make sure it will be documented and aired live on TV. This is just a headsup and be cautious)

After taking down his post about possible bombings in Cebu during Sinulog, Luijie Gurrea posted this on his wall.

Cebu Daily News reached Gurrea through Facebook chat and he replied that his post was a message that he received from a friend.

“I posted that one here becaue I am just also concerned about everyone’s safety especially my friends and beloved. Nonetheless, I don’t have any intention to scare but just to let the people know that they must be vigilant at time like this. Thank you.”

When asked where his friend received the information, Gurrea said the message was also received by his friend.