CEBU City Councilor Edgardo “Jaypee” Labella II has urged the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Cybercrime Division to conduct an immediate probe into the spread of false information on social media that hampered relief efforts for northern Cebu residents affected by the recent magnitude 6.9 earthquake.
Why it matters: Misinformation wasted volunteer time and disrupted the flow of essential donations. Labella is calling for an investigation to hold those spreading fake news accountable, particularly during an emergency where clarity and efficiency are vital.
The big picture: The earthquake devastated parts of northern Cebu, but relief efforts could have been affected by misinformation that spread on social media, Labella said in his privilege speech during the council’s session on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025.
Last Saturday, Oct. 4, a Facebook post, falsely claiming a landslide had blocked the road to Sogod in northern Cebu, quickly gained over 1,800 reactions and was widely shared, warning drivers not to take the northern route via Catmon.
The image used was misleading, later confirmed to be from a different location in Pinamungajan, a town in southwestern Cebu.
The claim was reposted and reworded, shifting the supposed landslide location multiple times (from Barangay Lugo to Liki and Sitio Eme in Sogod).
Volunteers and relief drivers turned back or spent up to 12 hours stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic due to the confusion, worsening challenges for response teams already dealing with damaged infrastructure in towns like Bogo, San Remigio and Medellin.
Zoom in: Labella said there is a need for stronger measures to hold online users accountable for malicious or negligent dissemination of fake news.
Fact-checks from local media outlets and concerned netizens only came later that day, after the damage to relief operations had been done.
What’s next: Labella’s resolution urges action from multiple government bodies and media.
Aside from asking the NBI Cybercrime Division to conduct an immediate probe into the source of the false information, the councilor also appealed to the regional offices of Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Department of Agriculture to conduct soil integrity sampling in quake-affected northern Cebu to ensure slope stability and identify potential landslide-prone zones.
The councilor also appealed to reputable news outlets for honest, responsible journalism, acting as the “first line of defense” against misinformation. / CAV