Danao City police yesterday said that they will file a case against a 21-year-old man after he falsely claimed on Facebook that kidnappers onboard a white van tried to abduct him.
The man has been identified as Brigs Granada Alvaro, a resident of the city’s village of Lo-oc, Manila Bulletin reports.
Authorities in Danao City stumbled upon Alvaro’s viral Facebook post while monitoring social media for rumors of a white van abducting teenagers that have been circulating in Manila for the past few months. After seeing Alvaro’s post, investigators and representatives from the local government trooped to his home to question him, at which point he allegedly confessed to authorities that the story was false.
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Alvaro was asked to appear before Vice Mayor Mix Durano and members of the city council, a meeting that was also attended by the police. He also allegedly confessed to them that what he wrote was untrue and that he regretted the prank, SunStar Cebu reports.
Instead of letting it slide, however, the police said they will charge Alavaro for violating the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. Cebu City Police officer-in-charge Col. Geovanie Maines told CNN Philippines that they will also sue other people who would post similar hoaxes on social media.
“They better think twice because it is not doing any good. It is creating confusion and fear especially among parents,” Maines said.
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