FRASCO
Mayor Frasco says there is no virus outbreak in Liloan town
CEBU Flash Report is in hot water again after Liloan Mayor Christina Frasco slammed the Facebook news page after it posted an alleged “outbreak” in the northern town.
On a post dated August 3, Cebu Flash Report (CFR) wrote “WARNING: Canine Distemper Virus in Lilo-an Cebu.”
The CFR even appealed to its readers to “share this post to people living near and in Lilo-an and to those who own dogs.”
Mayor Frasco, on a statement issued to Cebu Daily News, denied the existence of any kind of outbreak in her town.
“News about outbreaks of any kind is never to be taken lightly, much less, falsely reported on, as it creates panic and distress among the public,” Frasco said.
CFR’s post has been shared almost 2,000 times and has 1, 275 comments since it was posted at 10:34 p.m. last Thursday.
Canine Distemper is a contagious and serious viral disease that affects dogs, raccoons, wolves and foxes. Unvaccinated puppies and non-immunized dogs are more vulnerable to the virus. The virus, usually spread through air or contact with an infected animal, attacks the dog’s tonsils and lymph nodes, then its respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems. Once the virus starts affecting the brain and spinal cord, the affected animal may experience seizures, paralysis and attacks of hysteria.
Mayor Frasco revealed that the page administrator of CFR did not contact the municipal government or agriculturist of Liloan to verify whether the outbreak exists before posting the information on its Facebook page.
“There is no such outbreak in Liloan. Cebu Flash Report published the false news story anyway,” the town mayor said.
Ireneo Noval, municipal agriculturist, echoed the same sentiment on the issue.
Noval said out of the 14 barangays in Liloan, there have only been very few isolated reports of symptoms of the virus in one barangay. Noval added that his office is ensuring that animal health and welfare in Liloan is safeguarded and monitored.
Experts from the provincial veterinary office are scheduled to visit Liloan today to check on whether the symptoms reportedly experienced by some pet dogs are connected to Canine Distemper.
Both Noval and Frasco urged the public, especially pet owners in the town, not to panic.
This is not the first time that CFR has published unverified news stories on its Facebook page.
Last July 4, CFR posted about a bomb in Barangay Basak, Lapu-Lapu City. Police officers who rushed to the area clarified that the alleged bomb was only a cassette player.
“Whether it’s reporting fake news about a bomb in Lapu-Lapu or an outbreak in Liloan, Cebu Flash Report’s deception of the public is a menace, and it continues to put people and places in harm’s way. It is just plain wrong,” Frasco said.