PNP to summon person behind 'fake, malicious' anti-Marcos FB post

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday said it has identified the individual allegedly behind a “malicious” social media post against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Randulf Tuaño said the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) has uncovered the identity of the person who made the post on Facebook.

“Na-take down na po yung post at na-identify na po yung gumawa ng disinformation,” Tuaño said in a press conference.

(The post has been taken down and we have identified the person behind the disinformation.)

“Sa ngayon po, hinahanda na yung subpoena ng CIDG upang siya ay ipatawag at bigyan ng pagkakataon upang magpaliwanag,” he added.

(Right now, the CIDG is preparing a subpoena to summon her and give her the opportunity to explain.)

Tuaño refused to divulge the name of the person who made the Facebook post, pending the issuance of the subpoena. However, he said the subject is a a female professional from Mindanao.

The social media post claimed that acting PNP chief Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Jr. “urges all soldiers, police, and military forces NOT TO OBEY PBBM orders that harm the people.”

“He declared ‘OUR LOYALTY BELONGS TO THE FILIPINO NATION, NOT TO A THIEF OF THE COUNTRY'S TREASURY,’” the post said.

On Tuesday night, the PNP  disowned the Facebook post and slammed it as a fake and malicious attempt at disinformation.

“These statements are fabricated and malicious, intended to spread confusion and discredit our institution,” the PNP said.

The PNP also called on the public to “exercise vigilance, verify information through official PNP channels, and refrain from sharing unverified content that may mislead others or undermine public trust.”

It also assured that they continue to “serve the Filipino people with honor, dedication, and accountability, while standing firm against attempts to misinform and destabilize the credibility of our law enforcement institutions.”

On Monday, Nartatez said there is no talk within the PNP about withdrawing support from the President.

He added that he saw no basis to oust the Chief Executive since he won majority of the votes in the 2022 elections.

In a press briefing, the acting PNP chief was asked if there were retired police officials calling for Marcos’ removal, similar to the supposed call of some retired military officials for the Armed Forces of the Philippines to withdraw support from the President.

In reply, Nartatez said no one among the retired PNP officials have talked to him or other police generals about such a scenario, and that he will discourage them from pushing for Marcos’ removal. — JMA, GMA Integrated News