Police not amused by vlogger’s nCoV prank despite apology, file criminal case

LEGAZPI CITY—A vlogger who had apologized after realizing his nCoV prank was not funny isn’t getting off the hook after police sued him for alarm and scandal, criminal offenses, on Tuesday (Feb. 4).

Lt. Col. Aldwin Gamboa, chief of Legazpi City police, said the case was filed against Marlon De Vera at the city prosecutor’s office.

A video produced by De Vera went viral on social media and showed him pretending to be an nCoV carrier. He lied down in front of a mall entrance past 4 p.m. last Sunday (Feb. 2) acting like he had been taken ill by nCoV.

De Vera pulled the prank in one of the two malls that was mentioned by a fake nCoV report which circulated online last week.

“He committed a crime, so we need to file a case,” Gamboa said. “He created scandal and caused panic to the public especially about this sensitive case,” Gamboa added.

The police chief said police were waiting for the family of a child, who was traumatized by De Vera’s prank after seeing it on social media, to bolster the case against the vlogger.

On Monday (Feb. 3), De Vera apologized to the management of the mall and also released a video apology on his social media account.

The management of the mall didn’t pursue a case against De Vera after the apology.

Edited by TSB