Charges await netizens who posted fake ‘kidnapping’ rumors on social media

POLICE have denied reports circulating on social media that a student from a private school in Cebu City was almost kidnapped on the first day of in-person classes on Monday, August 22, 2022.

Officials of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) said they plan to conduct a probe against those behind the posts and charge them.

A netizen claimed on Facebook that someone tried to grab an elementary school student and force the student into a van on J. Urgello St. in Barangay Sambag 2, Cebu City on Monday.

However, when personnel of the Abellana Police Station in Cebu City arrived at the scene to investigate the report, they discovered that it was not true.

Misunderstanding

Lt. Col. Janette Rafter, CCPO’s deputy director for operations, said the alleged kidnapping that occurred in Sambag 2 was not as reported on social media.

Rafter said that based on the investigation conducted by the Abellana Police Station, the rumors that circulated on social media were based on an “unreported” allegation made by some residents that a street child with a mental disability reportedly attempted to drag a young student upon seeing the latter passing by.

Rafter said netizens who reportedly witnessed the incident thought that it was a kidnapping.

But according to Rafter, the street child was merely “overwhelmed” by the growing number of students roaming around the barangay as a result of the opening of classes.

“She (street child) may have been overwhelmed as it has been two years since she saw more children in the streets. She couldn’t help but grab one of the children. Unfortunately, the child she grabbed misinterpreted her gesture,” Rafter said in Cebuano.

Aside from CCPO, even operatives of the Philippine National Police’s Anti-Kidnapping Group in Central Visayas (AKG 7) were also receiving several reports of suspected kidnappings being circulated on social media.

Lt. Zozimo Ravanes, AKG 7 team leader, told reporters that they sent their personnel to verify the reports but to no avail.

Probe on rumormongers

Because of this, Rafter and Ravanes said they have sought the services of the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit in Central Visayas (Racu 7) to trace and sue the netizen who originally posted the rumors online.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, Lt. Col. Wilbert Parilla, CCPO’s deputy director for administration, said he is asking Racu 7 to investigate a certain Nelson Tagra, who attested on social media to witnessing a kidnapping of an unidentified person in an undetermined location in the city.

Parilla said they will send police personnel to Tagra’s location and check security cameras in his vicinity to determine if he is telling the truth.

If they find that Tagra is lying, he will be charged, Parilla added. (AYB, GPL / PJB)