THE arrest of three vloggers for staging a kidnapping prank, whose video went viral last April 6 in Las Piñas City, should serve as a lesson to all becasue they may who faces not only criminal suits but also the risk of being shot by unsuspecting lawmen or other gun-holders, officials told the Journal Group yesterday.

The three suspects, identified as Mark Heroshi San Rafael, Mark Lester San Rafael and Eleazar Steven Fuentes, all vloggers behind the so-called ‘Tokomi Vlog,’ were released from police custody after posting bail required by the court, according to Philippine National Police Public Information Office chief Brigadier General Redrico A. Maranan.

The three got national attention after posting a video of a kidnapping prank which went viral after a member of the PNP Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group pulled his gun on them after thinking it was a real kidnapping case last April 6.

The incident triggered widespread public outrage and concern as it portrayed a meticulously orchestrated kidnapping scenario which could have gone awry had the PNP-IMEG agent identified as Staff Sergeant Ronnie Conmingo opened fire at them.

PSSgt. Conmingo played a pivotal role in unraveling the prank and formally lodged a complaint against the three, said the PNP leadership.

The video, posted by the vlogger under the pseudonym “Tukomi Blog” depicted a sophisticated fake kidnapping episode that transpired along Saging Street, Phase 2, Barangay CAA in Las Piñas City.

The public uproar prompted Conmigo to initiate a criminal complaint for alarm and scandal against the trio before the Office of the City Prosecutor last April 11.

Judge Lynnette May D Deloria-Manarang of the Las Piñas City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 124 issued the warrant of arrest against the three prompting the local police to apprehend them.

PNP chief General Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. said that the incident must serve as a warning to all pranksters.

The trio were ordered released from police custody last August 2 by Judge Deloria-Manarang after they posted bail. Their arraignment was scheduled last August 10.

“ This incident serves as a poignant reminder of the imperative for responsible online conduct and the far-reaching consequences arising from flouting the law.

The PNP’s decisive and principled action in this case unequivocally underscores its unwavering commitment to preserving public safety and order in the digital age,” said Brig. Gen. Maranan.

Other officials maintained that vloggers engaged in public pranks which tend to create panic and disturbance in Metro Manila and the rest of the country not only will face criminal suits but most importantly, risk being shot by unsuspecting lawmen or other gun-holders who have the tendency to come to the defense of others.

The same applies to gun-holders who were former kidnapping victims or ambush survivors who may fire their weapons once a prank crime is staged in their presence.

PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group director Brigadier General Sydney S. Hernia also called on vloggers and content creators in the country to be responsible enough for the impact their prank videos may have on innocent individuals warning they will be liable for their prohibited acts.

In other foreign countries, authorities have launched a crackdown on pranksters who intentionally assaulted someone, created a public disturbance or steal or destroy properties while being filmed by their accomplices, all for a prank.

In 2016, wire reports said that four members of the controversial Trollstation YouTube channel in London were jailed in connection with fake robberies and kidnappings.

The group turned out to have been involved in a fake robbery at London’s National Portrait Gallery and a fake kidnapping at Tate Britain in July 2015.

As a result, the four accused, who pleaded guilty to two counts of using threatening, abusive, or insulting words or behavior with intent to cause fear of, or provoke unlawful violence, were sentenced to a minimum of 28 weeks in jail.

In the country, many Filipinos and authorities have been angered by antics displayed by vloggers and content creators prompting calls for them to reevaluate their approach to earn money since they have a big influence which they can use in a more positive way.

Some of these vloggers have been accused of putting themselves at risk and at the same time wasting valuable police time and resources.

Last January, police arrested two vloggers after they pranked an attendant of a gasoline station in Mawab town in Davao de Oro on Wednesday for their online content.

Jonel Cordero and his accomplice Arnold Rabi were jailed for pulling a trick that caused alarm to the workers of the gas station located along the National Highway in Barangay Poblacion.

It turned out that Cordero went to the station to buy P10 worth of gasoline. He later pretended to drink the gasoline and acted being dizzy and nauseous prompting the attendants to call for help.

While already being attended to by rescuers, Cordero continued acting but later admitted they were only pulling a prank when a member of the rescue team started to perform a medical assessment on him.

He admitted that he only drank an energy drink, not gasoline. However, he and his cohort were charged for alarm and scandal under Article 155 of the Revised Penal Code.

Those prank videos have prompted authorities to appeal to the public to avoid pranks that may cause ‘public chaos, alarm and disturbance’ and disrupt the operations of the police force and other government agencies.

These pranks have the potential to lead to serious injuries or even death, and those involved in staging them could face criminal charges, police said.