MANILA, Philippines – After posting wrong information on social media about the spread of the novel coronavirus which caused panic, a barangay chairman in Marikina City faces charges for violating the Anti-Cybercrime Law.
Marikina City Mayor Marcelino "Marcy" Teodoro said he was suing Ziffred Ancheta, chair of Barangay Tumana here for falsely claiming on a Facebook live post Thursday, March 19, that there was a case of coronavirus infection in his area.
That erroneous Facebook post caused panic in Marikina, said Teodoro.
Teodoro said Ancheta faced charges of Unlawful Means of Publication and Unlawful Utterances, Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code in relation to RA 10951 of the Anti-Cybercrime Law.
Ancheta's claim on Facebook has since been refuted by the Marikina City Health Office (CHO), and the city's Rescue 161.
City health officer Dr. Alberto Herrera said that the subject of Ancheta's wrong post was a PUI (Person Under Investigation).
That PUI worked as a security guard in Greenhills, said Herrera and was not a COVID-19 confirmed case.
Ancheta's post was “in direct violation of the protocol set forth by the DOH in informing the public about Covid cases thereby causing fear, panic, and trauma to residents of Barangay Tumana,” said Dave David, chief of Marikina's Rescue 161.
The Marikina mayor said, in a satement, he was "urging everyone to be responsible when posting on social media, especially about COVID-19." – Rappler.com
