The head of the Malaybalay City police in Bukidnon and his community relations team have been ordered to explain their social media post tagging those who opposed the ABS-CBN shutdown as “terrorists,” which circulated just as the new Anti-Terror Law took effect Saturday.
Police Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, spokesman of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said they immediately conducted an investigation of the incident after they received the report about the post of the Malaybalay City police in its Facebook account.
The post was a photo showing protesters holding placards in support of press freedom and in support of ABS-CBN franchise renewal with a caption insinuating that those who ride on this issue against the government is supporting terrorism.
“The Malaybalay City police chief and those responsible for the production and circulation of this social media material have been ordered to explain why no administrative sanctions shall be imposed on them for this apparent disregard of existing policy on social media use by PNP personnel that deserve appropriate sanctions,” said Banac.
Banac said the post has been taken down.
The terrorism-related post of the Malaybalay City police came amid the wide opposition against the Anti-Terror Law which critics said penalizes social media posts and other activities critical to the government. Critics warned that the law would be used to initiate a crackdown against the opposition.
Mocha Uson, President Duterte’s staunch supporter who currently works for the government, also figured in the same controversy several weeks ago after he tagged protesting students of the University of the Philippines as terrorists.
This is not the first time that a police unit posted a controversial message that apparently goes against the social media policy of the PNP. (Aaron Recuenco)
