THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has urged the public to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information online following the tensions at the Senate.
In a statement, PNP Chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the police organization has intensified online monitoring and ordered the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) to coordinate with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) in tracking misinformation related to the shooting incident in the Senate Complex on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
Nartatez said some social media users and content creators were allegedly exploiting the incident to spread fear, incite violence, and mislead the public.
“This is not the time for misinformation and an opportunity to sow fear and incite violence. Rather, this is the time for us to take a stand in fighting for what is right and just,” he said.
The top cop assured accountability for individuals found deliberately spreading false or misleading information online.
He said tighter cyber patrol operations are now being conducted to identify online content that could affect public order and compromise the integrity of the ongoing investigation into the May 13 shooting incident.
According to Nartatez, the PNP remains in close coordination with the DICT, which earlier warned the public against the rapid spread of fake news and unverified claims surrounding the case.
The police official also appealed to the public to rely only on information released by legitimate news organizations and government agencies.
Nartatez said authorities are carrying out a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances before and during the incident at the Senate complex.
“We ask all our kababayan to refrain from engaging in speculations and remain calm instead as we commit to ferret out the truth about what happened,” Nartatez said.
No casualties were recorded during the incident, which ensued after Senate head retired Major General Mao Aplasca fired “warning shots” against National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents who were then at the GSIS building.
The building, which houses the Senate, is being rented out from the GSIS, making the GSIS and Senate offices a bridge and a door away. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)