NBI PROBES TIKTOK POST ON ALLEGED KILL-MARCOS PLOT
JUSTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra confirmed on Sunday that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is now looking into a Tiktok post revealing an alleged assassination plot against presidential frontrunner Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.
Guevarra said it was the DOJ’S Office of Cybercrime (DOJOOC) that received a tip about the post and immediately acted on it by requesting the socialmedia platform to preserve the suspect account. “The DOJ, on the other hand, has directed the NBI to validate the tip. Pending verification, we are keeping other details confidential for security reasons,” Guevarra said.
When asked if the DOJ considers the Tiktok post a serious threat to Marcos’ safety, the DOJ chief said: “If a bomb joke is actionable, so is a threat of assassination, whether true or not.”
Guevarra, however, noted that the DOJ has not received similar information regarding personal threats to the security of presidential and other top national posts aspirants.
DOJ-OOC head, lawyer Charito Zamora, revealed that she got a text message on Friday from a concerned citizen who pointed to a serious threat in a Tiktok video posted by another Tiktok account with username @joiedevivre420.
Zamora said the comment states: ”Nagmemeeting kami araw-araw para paghandaang ipa-assassinate naming si BBM. Humanda kayo. [We are meeting everyday to plan for BBM’S assassination. Get ready].”
After initial investigation, Zamora said she referred the matter to the Nbi-cybercrime
Division (NBI-CCD) and the Philippine National Police-anti Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) for further investigation.
She added that the DOJOCC also e-mailed the Tiktok Law Enforcement Outreach and requested the data related to the subject account preserved, pending investigation by law enforcement agents.
“We have no information yet if there are particular persons already being investigated by our law enforcement agents or the owners of the subject accounts had been identified,” Zamora noted.
Zamora said she immediately referred the matter to the NBICCD and PNP-ACG as a matter of procedure.
“In this instance, I got a text last Friday from a concerned citizen, the threat of assassination against anyone, under the law, is considered grave threats. Thus, our referral to the law enforcement agents,” Zamora explained.
Marcos lawyer: BBM ‘uncowed’
IN a statement released yesterday, Marcos’ chief of staff and spokesman lawyer Vic Rodriguez expressed concern about the alleged assassination plot but stressed that this would not deter the presidential aspirant from going around the country to personally inform the people about his platforms.
“While the report on the assassination plot is concerning, we are not cowered by such threat. Bongbong shall continue to personally deliver his message around the country with firm resolve to unify the nation,” Rodriguez said.
Marcos’ camp also commended the DOJ for its “swift and uncompromising response to uncover those behind” the assassination threat.