By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
With developments concerning Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa continuing to permeate mainstream media, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) and other concerned agencies remain vigilant about the spread of related misinformation on social media.
In its latest catch, the government’s communications arm tagged four Facebook accounts for peddling claims that the Supreme Court has stopped the arrest of Senator dela Rosa.
The agency’s Anti-Fake News Desk already endorsed these accounts to the Department of Justice for prompt legal action.
“The Supreme Court, in fact, denied Senator Dela Rosa’s petition for a temporary restraining order to stop his arrest on the basis of a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC),” the PCO Anti-Fake News Desk said in its narrative report.
The endorsement covers Facebook accounts and pages identified as KaChizmaze, Booc TVs, Cris Lademora, and Lenny Quirz / Linie Quirong. These accounts published substantially similar posts claiming that the SC had “officially stopped” any attempt to arrest or surrender Senator Dela Rosa to the ICC or any foreign authority.
These posts were presented in a news format, generating thousands of reactions, comments, and shares, underscoring the gravity of actions that necessitated prompt government intervention.
The matter was endorsed for evaluation for possible violation of Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended by Republic Act No. 10951, in relation to Section 6 of Republic Act No. 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
PCO Secretary Dave Gomez reiterated the government’s serious drive to stop the spread of disinformation and fake news on social media, stressing that they cause public harm and erode public trust in government and democratic institutions.
Secretary Gomez warned, “We warn vloggers and users of social media platforms: do not exploit public confusion for views, engagement, or monetization by spreading false news. Fabricating a Supreme Court ruling and presenting it as news is a serious offense.”
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