De Lima orders NBI to trace source of hoax text message

MANILA, Philippines—Justice Secretary Leila De Lima on Tuesday ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to trace the source of the text message that spread fear of “acid raid” coming from radiation fallout from Japan.

“The source of the text messages could be held liable for committing crimes against public order,” De Lima said at a press conference held at the Department of Justice (DoJ) in Manila.

“We should not underestimate the consequences of false text messages. It can have really injurious consequences and therefore, must be taken seriously,” she added.

The text message which spread like wildfire Monday talked about a nuclear explosion at Fukushima, Japan, and its effects to the Philippines and caused concern and worries to the public.

The officials of Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) had to suspend classes after receiving a lot of phone calls from concerned parents.

While the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has no capacity to determine the source of the message, De Lima said the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has the capability to trace the source although not the owner if what was used is a prepaid SIM card.