15 FB users face raps for exposing identities of COVID-19 patients

BAGUIOCITY – Fourteen persons and one company were charged for disclosing private information of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients on social media.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong said a joint complaint was filed before the City Prosecutor’s Office on Sept. 10 against the respondents for violation of Section 9 of Republic Act 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act in relation to Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

The respondents are Jhonalyn Mapili, Lloyd Tabcao, Marina Martin, Myles Ortega delos Reyes, Vinz Wayang, Jenelyn Inyoh, Precy Esteban, Thess Delizo Abellera, Juvy Corn el Sun ia, Her al Alinao,Angi eli ca

E step a Gum a bay, Gene lyn Ga ca wen, Precy Manangan Hetherington, Joey Rejesus, and the Mt. Province Broadcasting Corporation.

In their affidavit, the complain ants said the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit of the Cordillera found that the respondents posted on their Facebook accounts the names, ages, addresses and/or occupations of the complainants after they tested positive for the virus on July 25,2020. “The postings in Facebook and eventual disclosure of their name, age, address,

and/or occupation were all without the complainants’ authorization, consent and permission, and the complainants did not sign any legal document that gave the respondents consent to make such disclosure,” the complainants said.

The results of an in-depth investigation done on each of the respondents’ posts were attached in the complaint. The complainants asked for ₱200,000 individually for “moral damages, anxiety, depression and sleepless nights” as a result of the “unauthorized acts of the respondents.”