National Capital Region Police Office chief Brig. Gen. Jonnel Estomo (PNA photo by Avito Dalan)
MANILA – National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Brig. Gen. Jonnel Estomo on Saturday urged netizens to be wary of posting and sharing fake news on their respective social media accounts.
Estomo was reacting to the reported kidnapping of a 13-year-old girl in Caloocan, which circulated on social media but turned out to be a “fake attempted kidnapping.”
“Immediately after I learned about the alleged incident of kidnapping in Caloocan, I alerted all units, especially the local police, in partnership with the concerned local government unit and the residents in the particular community,” he said in a statement.
Estomo noted that based on the police investigation, the minor victim initially alleged that she overheard the plan of three men alighting from a white van that they would tie her up and force her inside the vehicle.
The girl added that if not for the help of a tricycle driver and an unidentified bystander, she would have been taken away.
She said the tricycle driver helped retrieve her belongings and return home.
Police officers conducted an ocular inspection and interviews around the area and in an affidavit signed by a resident regarding the alleged kidnapping incident, she said she indeed noticed a parked gray Toyota Hi-ace on the date and time mentioned by the victim.
However, the resident did not witness any such kidnapping attempt or any person getting out of the vehicle.
Another affidavit signed by the tricycle driver mentioned by the victim said he did not notice anything unusual with the minor, especially signs of anxiety and fear.
It was reported later to the NCRPO that the minor admitted to her mother that no such incident happened and that her story of alleged kidnapping was made up, Estomo said.
“We enjoin everyone to be extra vigilant in appreciating news and reports seen and read in various social media platforms to prevent undue and unnecessary anxiety and fear from spreading in our communities,” he said.
Estomo called on the public to be more responsible in using social media, especially if it concerns public safety or national security.
“Think before clicking or face the harsh consequence of breaching the law,” he said. “Our police are just around the corner ready to respond to your needs and emergencies. We assure everyone that our streets and villages are safe to walk and live with, respectively.” (PNA)
