PRO 7 to ask Facebook for CFR’s admins

The Anti-Cybercrime Unit of the Police Regional Office ( PRO) 7 asked the assistance of social networking site Facebook to trace the specific administrators of Cebu Flash Report (CFR) and their addresses.

Superbalita photojournalist Alan Tangcawan, a staff of a local government unit (LGU), and four others were invited as persons of interest by the Regional Intelligence Division (RID).

“I am not involved with CFR. The only page I maintained is Superbalita Cebu and the news that are being released there is verified. That’s why our viewers and likers grew because the news items I report are factual, actual and exclusive,” Tangcawan said.

Tangcawan denied he was the one who posted the bomb joke in Lapu-Lapu City and said he just came from a coverage in Marawi City.

Chief Insp. Leo Dofiles, head of the anti-cybercrime group, said they have requested the law enforcement division of Facebook to reveal the account names and the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the admins who posted the false report that caused a bomb scare in Lapu-Lapu City last Tuesday.

PRO 7 Director Noli Taliño said that the invited personalities are not yet suspects. Instead, they may provide information that will lead to the administrator of Cebu Flash Report.

“That’s why we’re conducting an investigation,” he said.

Taliño said that the Anti-Cybercrime Unit has traced an address from the page but it turned out to be fake.

“We will really file a case against the source of the information and the administrator who posted it. The damage has been done,” Taliño said.

Netizens and the media are advised to be responsible, especially on security matters.

“Let us not do this because being irresponsible spreads panic to the public,” Taliño said.

He said charges for violations of Presidential Decree 1727, or the Anti-Bomb Joke Law, may be filed against the administrator who posted the fake news.

CFR reportedly posted a false report about a bomb that was allegedly detonated by the Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LCPO) last Tuesday. It turned out the said “bomb” was just a radio speaker. /