MANILA – The Philippine National Police-Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) on Wednesday has identified the account on video-sharing app TikTok which is behind the alleged assassination plot against presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
In a statement, ACG chief Brig. Gen. Robert Rodriguez identified the username as @ljluna7.
He added that the TikTok account had already been deleted, but they were able to save pieces of evidence from the post of the account.
“The source data however is being preserved to establish the ownership of the account involved. All screenshots of the alleged threatening comments/messages were taken from open sources," Rodriguez said.
On Tuesday, TikTok said the account involved in the alleged assassination plot against Marcos has been permanently banned from its platform.
"The promotion of violence has absolutely no place on our platform and the user's account has been permanently banned," it said.
Rodriguez said the TikTok account of @ljluna7 “is a public account that supports the Kabataan Party List account with a hundred and thirty-three (133) followers.”
“It (TikTok) is usually used to relieve one's stress through dancing, lip-synching, acting, or dubbing. So, before we conclude anything with regards to the online threat, we have to investigate and validate the veracity of the report," Rodriguez said.
He clarified though that while online threats are not really common or regular, the emergence of this kind of online activity is "probably due to the upcoming elections".
Consolidating proof
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said investigators are consolidating evidence to back the issuance of a warrant to compel social media platform Tiktok to disclose details of the supposed assassination threat against Marcos.
DOJ-Office of Cybercrime (OOC) chief Charito Zamora said they have also identified persons who may be held liable.
“They're still gathering information to support the application for disclosure warrant. Meron pong initial (information) as to who pero I'm not at liberty pa to say so kasi nga ongoing pa ang investigation ng ating mga investigation agents (We have initial information as to who but I am not at liberty to say who because the investigation is still ongoing),” she said told reporters.
Zamora said a warrant must be secured to authorize the disclosure of the computer data under Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
”As to the disclosure warrant, yes, kailangan po warrant (Yes, a disclosure warrant is needed) before TikTok shall divulge (the) information that we requested them to preserve. Nasa rules po natin yan (It is in our rules),” Zamora added.
The DOJ-OOC earlier referred the case to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Cybercrime Division and to the PNP-ACG. (PNA)
