THE Philippine National Police (PNP) leadership headed by General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar yesterday warned anew the public that spreading unvalidated reports or ‘fake news’ on social media amid the pandemic would bring them lots of trouble with the law.

The public advisory was issued amid the ongoing investigation of the people behind the spread of fake and misinformation that those who have not been vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus shall not be given government financial support and other benefits.

“Huwag tayong basta-basta maniwala sa fake news. Walang katotohanan na hindi papayagang lumabas kapag hindi bakunado. Hindi ito basehan kung papayagang lumabas ang isang indibidwal ngayong ECQ,” Gen. Eleazar said.

“Hindi na dapat maulit ang nangyari na dinumog ang mga bakunahan dito sa Metro Manila at hindi nasunod ang mga minimum public health safety standards at quarantine protocols. Hindi dapat maging super spreader events ang mga pila sa vaccination centers,” he emphasized.

The ‘No Vaccine, No Ayuda’ yarn which was described by the government as ‘fake and baseless’ triggered massive overcrowding and wanton violation of health protocols in government vaccination sites in different parts of NCR Plus as thousands of people flocked to these areas to be inoculated a day before Metro Manila was placed under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) anew on Friday last week.

Officials said the purveyors of these fake news have fooled thousands of people who made a beeline to several vaccination sites as early as the break of dawn Thursday last week causing near-stampede. A number of people fooled by the fake news including senior citizens were also hurt or some briefly lost consciousness due to heat and exhaustion prompting authorities to disperse the huge crowd by cancelling the vaccination for the day.

The incident prompted the PNP to appeal anew to netizens to stop spreading ‘fake news’ on social media which may only sow fear among citizens during this period of public health emergency saying the offense would send them to jail.

On April 2020, the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group filed criminal charges in court against seven persons including the mayor of Noveleta, Cavite who were accused of spreading ‘fake news’ on social media about the COVID-19 virus which further triggered public fear and anxiety in the area.

In debunking the fake Facebook posts, the Cavity City government also said that the photo of an alleged COVID-19 patient posted on the website of one of the respondents also turned out to have been that of a patient from Makati City and not from Cavite City.

Those Facebook posts triggered panic among residents of Cavite City and prompted the local government to take actions to identify the persons behind the hoax social media reports.

The PNP -ACG likewise filed criminal charges against four suspects for allegedly committing the same offense that caused panic amid the battle against the pandemic in Cabuyao City in Laguna and in Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu last year.

The accused were charged with the following: violation of Section 6f of Republic Act 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act considering the continuing activity of the social media account used by the mayor’s alleged troll to spread false information on COVID-19 in Cavite City; Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code or ‘unlawful use of means of publication and unlawful utterances; Section 4c4 of RA 1075 or Online Libel; Sec 9b of RA 11332 or the “Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act,” Article 14 (7) of Presidential Proclamation 922 or “crime committed on the occasion of a conflagration, shipwreck, earthquake, epidemic or other calamity or misfortune); and Section 25b of RA 10173 or the Data Privacy Act.

The PNP and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) are working to unmask and make the persons behind the ‘No Vaccine, No Ayuda’ fake news accountable before the court as they have created a yarn which caused trouble and unruliness in government vaccination sites.

Following the incident, the government clarified that the ‘ayuda’ or cash aid from the government amounting to P1,000 to P4,000 will be given to low-income residents whether they have been vaccinated or not.

Officials are angry since the vaccination program in different parts of the country have been going on smoothly until the fake news alarmed the public and forced them to crowd vaccination sites in Manila, Las Piñas and Antipolo cities.

Gen. Eleazar and other top PNP officials called on the public to be wary of fake news that only cause harm and trouble to the government vaccination program.

He also ordered all his police commanders to closely coordinate with local chief executives on the vaccination systems and processes in their localities.

“I have instructed all police chiefs to coordinate with local chief executives to determine the vaccination rules and process in their areas during the ECQ period,” Gen. Eleazar said.

“Mahalagang malaman ng ating kapulisan ang sistema at paraan ng bakunahan sa bawat lugar para makapaghanda ng sapat na bilang ng personnel na magbabantay dito,” he added.

The top cop directed all 17 Police Regional Offices to create a platoon or company-size quick reaction force that would be placed on standby to respond to overcrowding at the vaccination centers.

He pointed out that the quick reaction units should be ready for deployment on short notice and coordinate with the LGUs on the possible cancellation of vaccination activities in case the crowd becomes impossible to control.