Osmeña files cyber libel complaint against Alcover over ‘fake’ social media post
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña today lodged criminal and administrative charges against Cebu City Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr. for allegedly spreadking a fake post about the mayor.
Osmeña filed the administrative and criminal complaints on cyberlibel against Alcover before the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas.
In his complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman, Osmeña claimed Alcover spread an infographic on Facebook that falsely attributed to the mayor a statement that defended the Ateneo de Manila student involved in a bullying video that went viral on Facebook last December. The student was eventually dismissed from the institution.
A Facebook profile of person named “Jun Alcover Jr.” posted on December 21, 2018 an image of Osmeña with the words, “The boy was not really bullying. He was teaching a lesson. Ateneo and Jesuits are very close to my heart. I know they will get through this —Mayor Tomas Osmeña, Cebu City.”
The post had an accompaying caption that said: “Anong say n’yo?” and garnered at least 500 reactions, 300 comments and almost 600 shares. This post has not been deleted even after the case was filed.
The following day, at 6:43 a.m., Osmeña posted on his own Facebook page a statement calling the “Jun Alcover Jr.” post a fake news: “Intawn Team Suyop. Konsehal pa gyud ninyo mag himo og FAKE NEWS. Akong masulti is na ango ango na inyong Alcobird #BugoRayMuTuoa.”
In his affidavit, Osmeña said that the spread of this ‘fake’ information was a ground for cyberlibel, as provided under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, or Republic Act No. 10175.
Osmeña also called for the preventive suspension of Alcover, saying that the alleged malicious act violated the Code of Conduct Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
Alcover, in a phone interview, declined to comment, as he had yet to received copies of the complaints.
However, at around 7 p.m. of Wednesday after the case was filed, Alcover posted on his Facebook page a photo of Osmeña filing the case at the Office and Ombudsman with the caption, “Those whom God Wish to destroy they first make him mad ……!!! Karon pako nga kapayason o himi man diay ang 8th floor mayor ..!!! Padayon sa imong ka buang ..!! Dili tika atrasan ….!!!” /elb
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