By Lane Afable, News Editor
The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Monday urged the Department of Justice to file the appropriate criminal charges against four Facebook accounts falsely claiming that the Supreme Court has stopped Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s arrest.
“The Supreme Court, in fact, denied Senator Dela Rosa’s petition for a temporary restraining order to stop his arrest on the basis of a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC),” the PCO Anti-Fake News Desk said in its narrative report.
PCO director Robertzon Ramirez made the endorsement in his capacity as head of the Anti-Fake News Desk.
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The endorsement covers Facebook accounts and pages identified as KaChizmaze (13,000 followers), Booc TVs (12,000 followers), Cris Lademora (4,600 followers), and Lenny Quirz / Linie Quirong (20,000 followers).
The posts were presented as news, using phrases such as “Just In,” “Breaking News,” “landmark ruling,” and “The Court clearly stated,” which may be taken in relation to Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), concerning the unlawful use of means of publication.
In particular, the PCO said the accounts maliciously published “false news which may endanger the public order or cause damage to the interest or credit of the state.”
The matter was endorsed for evaluation for possible violation of Article 154 of the RPC, as amended by Republic Act No. 10951, in relation to Section 6 of Republic Act No. 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
This means that the offense carries a penalty one degree higher than what is prescribed in the RPC — equivalent to six months and a day to six years.
Dela Rosa had sought to stop the enforcement of the arrest warrant issued by the ICC, in connection with the Philippine drug war case that may begin trial later this year.
But the Supreme Court on May 20 voted 9-5 against his petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the ICC warrant.
In denying dela Rosa’s petition, the SC justices cited “bad faith” in his “conduct.” The decision also said the high court should not be made a “doormat for the wiping clean of those who are charged with blood on their hands.”
PCO Secretary Dave Gomez reiterated the government’s serious drive to stop the dissemination of disinformation and fake news on social media, stressing that they cause public harm and erode public trust in government and democratic institutions.
“We warn vloggers and users of social media platforms: Do not exploit public confusion for views, engagement, or monetization by spreading false news. Fabricating a Supreme Court ruling and presenting it as news is a serious offense,” Gomez said.
The PCO said it would continue to monitor, document, and refer verified criminal disinformation to the proper authorities.
