CCPO to monitor circulation of false info about lockdowns after elections

| CCPO photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City policemen will monitor those, who will be circulating false information on lockdown after the May 9 elections.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said this following reports that they received rumors circulating online that there would be a lockdown in Cebu City after the May 9 polls.

Parilla said that there was no basis for this.

Earlier, Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera, chief implementor of the city’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), also said that they were 100 percent sure that there would be no lockdown after the elections.

“The last time nga naa tay granular lockdown was last August of 2020, wala pay bakuna mga tao ana. That’s almost 2 years na unya karon na hinoon magpakanap og mga balita sama niana nga grabe na atong bakuna,” Garganera said.

(The last time that we had a granular lockdown was last August of 2020, the people still did not have any vaccines then. That was almost 2 years ago and now, we will spread like that that we already have a lot of vaccines.)

“Wala man gani kita nakaexperience bisan pagsaka man lang og gamay sa Covid cases taliwala sa daghang political rallies and gatherings that are attended by tens and hundred of thousands,” he added.

(We did not even experience a small increase in  the COVID cases despite the many political rallies and gatherings that are attended by tens and hundreds of thousands (of people).)

READ: Cebu City EOC’s assurance: No lockdown after elections

For his part, Parilla said that they also had their own Cybercrime Unit where they would coordinate in monitoring and investigating those individuals who would be caught circulating false statements on lockdowns.

When asked what will be the basis for this and would it be the one who posted or shared this false information?, Parilla said that the city’s Cybercrime Unit had the the jurisdiction over this.

“Sa basis gyud no wa tay idea. It’s the cybercrime ang mag conduct but for the CCPO, we will just submit report to the cybercrime unit nga atoang ipa monitor and possibly ma identify kung kinsa ning nga nagpakatap,” Parilla said.

(On the basis for that we have no idea. It’s the cybercrime that will conduct that, but for the CCPO, we will just submit a report to the cybercime unit that we will want them to monitor and possibly identify, who is spreading these [fake news].)

On what could be the possible purpose for some to do this action, Parilla said that, perhaps, they only wanted to disrupt the peaceful flow of events in the city.

If they could gather enough pieces of evidence against certain individuals regarding circulating false information on lockdown after elections, Parilla said, then they would file the appropriate charges, depending on the outcome of the investigation.

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