DOJ ASKED TO PR0BE FB POSTS FALSELY CLAIMING SC  STOPPED DELA ROSA’S ARREST

THE Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Monday endorsed to the Department of Justice (DOJ) the filing of appropriate 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 Sen. 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 PCO-AFND.

The endorsement covers Facebook accounts and pages identified as KaChizmaze, Booc TVs, Cris Lademora, and Lenny Quirz / Linie Quirong. These accounts published substantially similar posts claiming that the SC had “officially stopped” any attempt to arrest or surrender Sen. Dela Rosa to the ICC or any foreign authority.

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, paragraph 1 of the Revised Penal Code.

They generated thousands of reactions, comments, and shares, with some users asking whether the claim was true or calling to stop Dela Rosa’s arrest.

The matter was endorsed for evaluation for possible violation of Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended by Republic Act No. 10951, in relation to Section 6 of Republic Act No. 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

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.

He said the PCO will continue to monitor, document, and refer verified criminal disinformation to the proper authorities.