THE PNP yesterday said it has asked Meta to take down some 1,372 posts on Facebook which it described as fake news and malinformation.
Data from the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) from January to August 13 this year showed that 112 of these posts were already taken down.
The rest, or 1,260, were “flagged” by Meta.
PNP chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III, in a press briefing at Camp Crame, said among those spreading the fake info are members of the DDS or Duterte Diehard Supporters.
Torre cited three posts from DDS members, two of them crimes that occurred abroad that were made to appear they happened in the Philippines.
The third case, he said, involved an altercation that happened in Cebu last month. He said a video of the incident was recently posted on Facebook, making it appear it was a robbery case.
“It seems that the critics of the government, especially the critics of the President, have run out of legitimate issues to raise. …They are making up stories,” said Torre.
Torre said such posts are “a violation of community standards,” noting that these posts projected that peace and order in the country have already deteriorated.
“These are not true so we’ve requested these posts to be taken down,” said Torre, adding that criminal charges will be pursued against those behind the fake news.
The ACG said the spread of such false information can cause “unwarranted public alarm and disrupt social order” and “unnecessary fear.”
“Under the law, spreading malinformation is a punishable offense,” the ACG said.
ACG director Brig. Gen. Bernard Yang urged the public to refrain from sharing unverified information on social media.
“Please be reminded that spreading fake news is a serious offense punishable by law with fines and imprisonment,” said Yang.
“If you encounter anyone posting malinformation, misinformation, or disinformation, report it immediately to the PNP ACG or dial 911 for prompt action,” added Yang.
