ONGOING efforts of the Philippine National Police (PNP) headed by General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. to identify, arrest and prosecute purveyors of fake news on social and mainstream media in the country has gotten the support of the influential Movement for the Restoration of Peace and Order (MRPO) and the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII).

The MRPO represented by Architect Ka Kuen Chua and Teresita Ang-See and the FFCCCII led by Henry Lim Bon Liong called on the public including big business groups to help the PNP in its anti-criminality campaign by coming up with complete information regarding any crime incident specifically kidnappings so that they could be properly investigated.

Ang-See likewise broached the possibility that the purported 56 KFR cases reported by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. could be ‘cases of human trafficking’ which should also be investigated by other concerned government agencies, not only the PNP.

The MRPO cautioned the Filipino-Chinese community to be wary of unverified social media posts on alleged kidnappings which have caused public scare as it called on the police force to go after persons circulating fake news.

“Kidnappings and rumors of kidnappings of Chinese nationals have been causing much anxiety in the Chinese -Filipino community. Circulating on social media are a mixture of truths and half-truths. Exaggerations, false and recycled news,” said the MRPO in a statement signed by Chua.

“This includes two YouTube videos, one in English and Filipino and another in Chinese that went viral. It had gone around for almost a week already. Some details are true, but most of the content is a summary of the many other posts, many of which are baseless and exaggerated. This caused even more fears,” the statement added.

The MRPO statement said “one post has a headline,: “56 incidents in just 5 days,” but the entire post doesn’t give details of any incident. Sadly, the YouTube post repeated this baseless news. If you know the YouTube vloggers, do alert them that they may be liable for disruption of public order under the cybercrime law, which provides that the following is punishable: Any person who by any means of publication shall publish as news any false news which may endanger the public order or cause damage to the interest or credit of the State.”

What is true, according to the MRPO is that POGO related incidents of kidnapping of Chinese nationals are increasing.

“Some of the victims are gamblers who frequent the casinos and become targets of opportunity. Others are workers and gamblers who accumulate debts and are held hostage by the casino or by their own employers. Some of them are turned over to syndicated “collectors” many of whom are members of criminal syndicates. Those turned over to them are held hostage, tortured, threatened while money is extorted from their families in China,” it said.

The MRPO confirmed a PNP-AKG report that payments, which used to be made in legitimate bank accounts in China, are now made through black market remittance centers in because of strict government policies on remittances and money laundering.

The MRPO added that “it is also true that after a crackdown of illegal gambling in Cambodia, some members of the Chinese syndicates found a safe haven here.”

“It is also not something new. We have reported such incidents to police authorities way back in 2019. Remember the businessman from Thailand who was taken from a KTV bar in 2019? That news went viral and the kidnappers have wide network not just in China and Southeast Asia but even in Europe,” it explained.

The group also confirmed that many of the recent victims are female victims of human trafficking who, after being promised high-paying jobs in the country ended up in casinos or into prostitution.

“The rest of the stories are false and exaggerated, some are even videos of old incidents,” it added.

The MRPO also asked members of the Tsinoy community to refrain from forwarding unverified news so as not to create unnecessary fears and panic.

“Though we all must stay vigilant and be extra cautious now that we go out more often, we also shouldn’t fall prey to false and sensational news,” said KA Kuen Chua as he warned that those who post them may be liable under the anti-cybercrime law.

Azurin earlier ordered the PNP Anti-Cybercrime group headed by Brigadier Gen. Joel B. Doria to further intensify their efforts to check fake news being spread via Facebook and other social media platforms in order to identify and file criminal charges against the people behind them.

Doria said they have discovered that many of the videos which have been circulating online about attempted rape, attempted abduction, and alleged missing persons have in fact been solved by the police force.

“Most of it when validated reveal that the post happened years ago, were already solved by the PNP, and yet being recycled, others are edited pictures that are posted to probably gain followers or to depict a picture of an unstable government,” he said.

Azurin has already ordered all police units in the country to intensify their efforts in monitoring widespread circulation of fake news especially those which pose threats and misinformation that may instigate and incite social conflict.

“I call the attention of our public to be more mindful of what we are posting on social media sites and refrain from spreading unverified information from unknown source that may lead to public disturbance, panic and confusion,” the top cop said.

Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 also says that penalties for crimes committed by, through and with the use of information and communications technologies shall be one degree higher. Guilty offenders face a six-month jail term and a fine ranging from P40,000 to P200,000.