MMDA: Police, DICT to help probe fabricated flood photos

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Nicolas Torre slammed the proliferation of fake and misleading content about the recent floods that hit the National Capital Region, saying that he has tapped the Philippine National Police (PNP) to help investigate the matter.

Torre, the former PNP chief, said they have been monitoring the flooding following the continuous rains brought by tropical cyclones Luis, Maymay and the southwest monsoon. He noted that several areas that used to flood a lot no longer flooded as much.

“There are really improvements, but there are people that do not want to accept that this is happening,” Torre said in Filipino on the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon program.

He also said that some people insisted that the government has done nothing right, so they will fabricate photos and videos.

“May mga outright, downright na talagang ang ginawa ay nag-manufacture ng AI-generated na mga pictures na pinalalabas na may baha rito at puno pa ng basura, etc. This is downright criminal, very, very malicious kaya we are coordinating with the PNP and the DICT-CICC (Department of Information and Communications Technology-Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center) for the investigation of this,” Torre said.

(There is outright, downright manufacturing of AI-generated pictures that make it look like there are floods and trash etc. This is downright criminal, very, very malicious so we are coordinating with the PNP and the DICT-CICC for the investigation on this.)

However, the MMDA general manager acknowledge that there were tons of trash that washed up after the continuous rains, like in the case of Baclaran. Torre said that they have deployed a mechanized trash collector to help clean the area. — BAP, GMA News