MANILA, Philippines — The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) on Saturday asked the public to beware of fake news circulating on social media recently on supposed robberies in three different restaurants in Quezon City – a Japanese restaurant, a well-known coffee shop, and a Chinese restaurant.
“Please be informed that the NCRPO takes all reports seriously and after monitoring the said message circulating on several communication platforms, we immediately investigated and validated the said information. As a result of our investigation, we categorically state that these alleged incidents are false and or misleading,” said the NCRPO in a statement.
The NCRPO said the false post claimed that armed men robbed restaurant guests and employees.
“The alleged incident that transpired at a certain Japanese restaurant happened more or less four years ago, and since then, the establishment has already put [into place] improved security protocols to protect their business, with no untoward incident reported to date. While the alleged incidents involving the known coffee shop and the Chinese restaurant are both found to be baseless and untrue,” said the NCRPO.
According to the NCRPO, false news like these has potential damage. It urged the public to be more vigilant of misinformation.
“We urge all members of the public to verify the information they receive before sharing it with others. We also request that individuals refrain from spreading any false rumors or unverified information that could cause harm or panic to the people in our community,” the NCRPO appealed.
The NCRPO is also working with the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group to investigate the proliferation of fake information.
“The residents of Metro Manila can be rest assured that your NCRPO is continuously monitoring incidents and reports in real time as well as through online platforms to proactive respond to these situations.”