Image by Ed Lustan
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police Anti Cybercrime Group (ACG) on Saturday said it was tracing the persons behind posts on social media that it said were muddling the ongoing police investigation into the cases of missing cockfighters or “sabungeros.”
Col. Froiland Lopez, chief of the ACG cyber patrollers and investigation unit, identified at least five Facebook accounts involved in circulating fake news about the missing individuals.
“However, a closer analysis of the images proved that the pictures were taken during the investigation of an ambush incident in Guindulungan, Maguindanao, on Feb. 12, 2022, where nine persons died and three were hurt,” the PNP said in a separate statement.
According to the PNP, the persons behind the disinformation would be also investigated “for his actions and possible link to the case of the missing persons.”
The Senate committee on public order and security launched on Thursday its inquiry into eight cases of abduction of 31 people from April 2021 to January this year reportedly involved in cockfighting and “e-sabong.”
—DEXTER CABALZA
RELATED STORIES
PNP says photos of missing ‘sabungeros’ actually from Maguindanao ambush
‘Ano bang kasalanan nila?’ Parents of ‘sabungeros’ shed tears over their children’s disappearances