Optometrist spreading fake info about COVID-19 to be charged

CEBU CITY, Philippines — An optometrist, who allegedly disseminated fake information about a patient positive for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and who was allegedly admitted in a Mandaue City hospital, will be facing a case for spreading the fake information.

Police Colonel Marlo Castillo, Regional Anti-cybercrime Unit in Central Visayas (RACU-7), said they would be filing a case against the optometrist tomorrow, February 18, 2020.

Castillo said they were supposed to file the complaint today, February 17, 2020, but since the University of Cebu Medical Center (UCMed) had not yet submitted their formal complaint, they decided to file the case tomorrow, February 18, 2020.

As of this time, Castillo and the RACU-7 team are communicating with the UCMED regarding the filing of the case.

On February 13, the UCMED issued a statement debunking the information spreading online about a person under investigation (PUI) of COVID-19, who was allegedly admitted in their hospital.

Castillo said they had also been monitoring the fake information circulating online and they were able to trace them to the optometrist, whom they invited on the same day the post came out on Thursday, February 13.

The optometrist has not been named yet since they had yet to file the case for violating Article 154 of the revised Penal Code in relation to Section 6 of Republic Act 10175 or the Cyber Crime Law.

Article 154 of the revised Penal Code is the unlawful use of means of publication and unlawful utterances.

Castillo said that they had not arrested the optometrist, but they invited him to the RACU-7 office on the day the fake information was posted online on Thursday, February 13, 2020.

The optometrist showed up at the RACU-7 office, where he was informed by Castillo about the legal consequences of his actions.

At that time, Castillo said they only knew the identity of the man spreading the false information and they only knew that he was an optometrist during the dialogue with him at the office.

“Sinabi naman nya na haharapin nya (He agreed that he would face the consequences of his actions),” said Castillo.

In a press statement released to the reporters this afternoon (February 17, 2020), Police Brigadier General Bernard Bañac, spokesperson of Philippine National Police (PNP) in Camp Crame, said that the optometrist was based in Mandaue City.

He said with the recent case that has caused panic in the city, they are encouraging the public to refrain from posting unverified informations as there would be criminal charges that would be filed against them.

“PNP Chief, Police General Archie Francisco Gamboa said the PNP-ACG will continue to take countermeasures against misinformation through cyber patrol operations and monitoring on all social media platforms,” reads a portion of Bañac’s message./dbs