The Manila Times

No verified

- FRANZ LEWIN EMBUDO, JAN ARCILLA, AND BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO

“I urge our citizens to stop spreading unconfirme­d news because you are causing unnecessar­y panic,” the mayor said as she urged residents to report any hand informatio­n about it.

“In the spirit of transparen­cy, I assure these alleged kidnapping cases have been validated,” she said.

Belmonte also asked QC residents to remain calm and refrain from causing unnecessar­y anxiety by spreading hear is “very irresponsi­ble and itself a public menace.”

Fake news

Meanwhile, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Bernard Banac described as “fake news” the alleged kidnapping of teenagers in Pasay City.

“Well, tungkol do ons ak um aka lat sa social media na is po na tin pa bu la an an an gm ga ku ma kala tn a fake news na ito.Wa lap apong base han at hindi ito validated (About that [news circulatin­g] on social media, we want to dismiss this news fake news that is spreading. It is baseless and it is not validated),” he said.

“Patungkol sail an gin sid en ten ana ku ha an CCTV( closed circuit television) k as a lu ku y anna man gin ii mb es ti ga han an gin sid en te. It oay isolated, hindi na mans it was y ons a bu ongb ans a( With regard to some [alleged kidnapping] incidents where these were caught on CCTV, these are being investigat­ed. These are isolated [cases] and is not the situation nationwide),” he added.

At least nine teenagers — one female and eight male — aged 15 to 23 reportedly disappeare­d in Pasay City between November 20 and 22.

Esguerra, 19; Niña Jane Ignacio, 19; Reine Louisse de Ocampo, 15; Kojie Marquez, 16; Norealle Butiong, 21; Gil Josh Ramirez, 18; Leogee Tiposo, 23; Roujen Serban, 21; and Sebastian Montoya, 22.

But Pasay City Police chief Bernard Yang claimed that they only learned of the case of the missing individual­s on November 25, the day Mayor Emi Calixto Rubiano ordered the police to probe the incidents.

Yang added that the report circulatin­g in social media that almost 20 people were missing now in Pasay City is also fake news.

“Obviously a fake news,” Yang said in a text message to TheManilaT­imes when sought for comment on the claim posted on Facebook by a certain Flor Abalye Villarosa, that at least 20 teenagers both male and female were missing. These students were allegedly from Arellano University and Pasay East National High School.

Villarosa claimed that the kidnapped teenagers might have become sex slaves or their internal organs had been taken and were being sold by their abductors.

“Based on the investigat­ion, kidnappers are those who asked you for a job and they’ll ask you to have a meet up. (Most of the meet ups are in MOA),” he added. MOA stands for the Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

Walatayo [na ki kit a] nam ayka gag aw anni to( This don’t have [any suspect yet] who may have perpetrate­d this). Our investigat­ion is still ongoing,”

Banac also appealed to netizens to also urged families of missing persons to the supposed disappeara­nce of their loved one on social media.

He warned netizens against posting be charged for violating the cybercrime act for spreading fake news. Don’t spread news or informatio­n which are not yet

Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa allayed fears of the public about the reported abduction of children and teenagers.

The senator, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, said the PNP was already pursuing a “theory” on the reported kidnapping of children in Pasay City and Quezon City.

“Hu wags il an gm at akotd’ yan.M ga isolated cases ‘yan (They should not be afraid. These are isolated cases),” dela Rosa in a text message.

Photos of alleged nine kidnapped minors, including one girl, went viral on social media. The series of abduction reported happened in November.

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