PNP Headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City. (Photo from the PNP Facebook page)
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) said Friday it will go after the source of photos supposedly showing the bloodied bodies of the missing “sabungeros” (cockfight players), which the police have clarified were images from an unrelated shooting incident in Maguindanao.
The PNP said the photos were an “apparent attempt to derail the investigation” on the case of the missing cockfight players.
“The PNP will be tracing the source of a disinformation attempt to muddle the ongoing police investigation into the case of missing Sabungeros,” the PNP said in a statement.
READ: PNP says photos of missing ‘sabungeros’ actually from Maguindanao ambush
Several Facebook accounts posted the photos claiming they were the missing cockfight players. One Facebook post claimed they were found in Rizal while another said they were found in Bulacan.
However, PNP spokesperson Police Col. Jean Fajardo said: “The photos..relates to a shooting incident [that] transpired in Maguindanao last Feb. 12.”
“The PNP deplores this act of disinformation that not only adds to the agony of the families of the missing persons but also serves to mislead police investigators who are focused on finding out the truth behind the case of the missing cockfight gamers,” the PNP said.
“The author of this disinformation will himself be investigated for his actions and possible link to the case of the missing persons,” it added.
The photos circulated online as the Senate public order and dangerous drugs panel on Thursday opened an investigation into the disappearance of 31 cockfight enthusiasts who went missing from April 2021 to January this year.