DICT warns vs spreading false information after Senate shooting incident

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) warned the public on Thursday against spreading fake news and inciting violence following the shooting incident on the Senate premises.

In a video posted online, DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said those who spread fake news and incite violence may face charges.

“Sinumang mapapatunayang nagambag o nagudyok sa pagpapakalat ng maling impormasyon online at karahasan ay hindi palalagpasin ng CICC [Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center] at sisiguraduhin na mapapatawan ng karampatang parusa,” Aguda said.

(The CICC will not let anyone proven to have contributed to or incited the spread of false information and violence online get away, and appropriate penalties will be imposed.)

Under the Revised Penal Code, those found guilty of unlawful use of means of publication may face imprisonment for one month, one day, or six months, as well as fines ranging from P40,000 to P200,000. If committed online, the penalty is raised by one degree.

Aguda also said the DICT and CICC are closely monitoring online posts that may encourage further unrest or incite violence.

He urged the public to be responsible when posting, commenting on, and sharing information online by verifying it and relying on legitimate sources and official channels.

“Sa panahon ng tensyon at pangamba, walang puwang ang pagpapakalat ng mga fake news at mga hindi-verifikadong impormasyon, mga edited videos, at mga mapanlinlang na mga posts na magdadagdag ng kalituhan at takot sa publiko,” he said.

(In times of tension and fear, there is no room for the spread of fake news and unverified information, edited videos, and misleading posts that only add confusion and fear among the public.)

The over-two-hour tense situation at the Senate building on Wednesday began at around 7:30 p.m., when Senate Sergeant-at-Arms and retired Police Major General Mao Aplasca announced that they would make an arrest, without naming the subject, and the Senate building was placed on lockdown.

Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa – who is under the Senate’s protective custody amid an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) – was also seen with his staff as they boarded an elevator. He came from the office of Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano.

A few minutes later, reporters heard noises coming from what seemed to be a grinder. The noises came from behind a door on the Senate premises adjacent to the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) building.

Moments later, seven gunshots were heard in the video that was taken from the second floor of the Senate building. The same video showed scores of people running to safety.

Dela Rosa has been included in the list of defendants on the ICC website after the tribunal unsealed the arrest warrant against him for crimes against humanity, identifying him as “at large.”

The ICC noted that he was a police officer who held various positions in the Philippine National Police in the Davao Region, including the position of chief of the PNP and the position of director general of the Bureau of Corrections.

Aside from Dela Rosa, former President Rodrigo Duterte is also listed as a defendant. He is under ICC custody in relation to crimes against humanity charges over alleged killings during his time as Davao mayor and as president. —VBL, GMA News