PCO files complaint vs Facebook page over ‘energy lockdown’ misinfo

MANILA, Philippines — The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) has filed complaints against a Facebook page for spreading a series of fabricated reports designed to trigger public panic amid the country's current energy emergency.

The PCO, through its Acting Secretary Dave Gomez, filed the complaint before the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday, April 7, against “Malasakit News Pilipinas.”

The complaint is lodged under Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code, which penalizes “unlawful use of means of publication.”

In a statement, Gomez said that the PCO asked the DOJ to investigate the posts and determine who fabricated them before filing a case in court. 

“We are submitting to the DOJ the results of our initial investigation so that they can conduct a more thorough probe, identify the culprits and file the proper charges in court,” Gomez said. 

These false posts, according to the PCO, involved:

1. A fabricated “Energy Lockdown, designed to scam the public into buying solar panels
2. A manufactured “Fuel Shortage,” meant to sow panic by inducing the public to stock up on gasoline, diesel and LPG
3. An invented “Emergency Lockdown” on account of an imagined Covid 19 Cicada variant

The investigation was spearheaded by the PCO’s Oplan Kontra Fake News initiative, launched last month to monitor and neutralize disinformation campaigns. 

According to the PCO, the initial probe has been turned over to the DOJ to identify the specific individuals behind the page and bring them to court.

On April 6, the Philippine National Police said that it will also pursue criminal complaints against the disseminators of false information amid the fuel crisis.

The PCO first flagged these false "energy lockdown" claims on April 6.