Police have names of men behind CFR

The Regional Anti-Cyber Crime Office has identified two persons behind the bomb scare social media post that caused commotion and panic in Barangay Basak, Lapu-Lapu City last July 4.

Cebu Flash Report (CFR), which has about 387,000 followers, posted in its page that a bomb was discovered and diffused in the place.

The post immediately went viral after it was shared 2,600 times, drawing 10,000 mixed reactions and generating 1,000 comments, in just 27 minutes.

Because of the post Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, the Explosive and Ordnance Division of the Central Command, and bomb-sniffing dogs arrived in the area.

It was learned that the item referred to as a “bomb” was only a VGL R-131 ULS AM/FM radio.

Chief Inspector Leo Dofiles of RACO said they now consider the case as “100 percent completed” after they submitted their report last Tuesday to the Police Regional Office-7 director.

He, however, refused to reveal the names of the two persons, whom he said were the administrator/ creator and the assistant administrator, so as not to preempt the filing of a complaint by the Lapu-Lapu City government against them.

Dofiles said that they were able to pinpoint the identities of the two by rounding up at least seven informants, five of whom would serve as witnesses.

In the course of their investigation, the police had invited for questioning two persons of interest. One was a photojournalist in Cebu City while the other one was a job-order employee working at the Lapu-Lapu City Information Office.

Both, however, were cleared of the allegation and even provided information that led investigators to the persons behind the Cebu Flash Report.

Dofiles said the filing of charges will be up to the Lapu-Lapu City government.

“We have already finished the investigation. Right now our office is just waiting kung unsa man,” he said.

He urged the public to refrain from spreading false information, as it is a violation of Republic Act 10175 (Anti-Cyber Crime Law) and of Presidential Decree 1727 for malicious dissemination of false information.

“We must be responsible sa mga post nato, not only sa social media but anything on the Internet. Once you posted it, it will never go away. Ang imong post mag-cause na og panic especially (if) sa bomb threat,” Dofiles said.

Avila / RHM