PNP says posts of Metro crimes going viral on social media are ‘fake news’

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday cautioned the public not to believe reports of alleged recent crimes that reportedly have taken place in Metro Manila and have even gone viral on social media.

“Just recently may fake news na meron daw holdupan sa mga restaurant and three out of those alleged holdup incidents eh talagang fake news,” PNP spokesperson Sr. Supt. Benigno Durana Jr. said in a press briefing.

(Just recently there were fake news that there was a series of robbery in restaurants and three out of those alleged holdup incidents were really fake news.)

A number of posts about robbery incidents in upscale restaurants and about alleged terrorists posing as virus-spreading medicine students have recently circulated on social media, with police officers reportedly even sharing the posts.

In a separate statement, Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Chief Supt. Joyet Esquivel also belied the posts, particularly on the alleged robbery at the upscale Shangrila Chinese Cuisine restaurant and at the Starbucks store at Fuchi near UCC Banawe Street in Quezon City.

“Hindi po totoo yung kumakalat na post sa Facebook na may hinoldap pong mga customers sa loob ng mga naturang business establishments,” Esquivel said.

(There are posts on Facebook circulating that these customers were robbed in the supposed business establishments were not true.)

Esquivel said both establishments have told the police no such incident took place in their stores.

“Ito po ay fake news sapagkat mismong ang pamunuan ng mga nasabing establisimento at mga empleyado nito ay pinasinungalingan na may nangyaring panghohold-up sa kanila noong June 1, 2108,” he added.

(These are fake news because their management and employees have denied such incident took place on June 1, 2018.)

While noting that anybody can craft such make-believe news on social media, Durana cautioned the public not to believe them and only get their information from the PNP.

“Well, you know dahil everybody boxes to that social media eh, sometimes, anybody can do that. But definitely, we have the means to know and our only intervention is that we give you the right answer based on real data,” Durana said.   /muf