CEBU GOV. Gwendolyn Garcia, in a press conference at the Capitol on March 18, 2020, said she will press charges against netizens sharing fake information online especially amidst the COVID-19 situation.
The false information Garcia was referring to was from a group chat that leaked online which caused panic and alarm among the Cebuanos.
The screenshots were taken from a private group chat among seven people with their conversation alluding to the death of 10 people in Cebu City allegedly due to COVID-19.
The chat messages referred to human cadavers allegedly cremated in a funeral parlor in the city and that the Cebu provincial government and Department of Health (DOH-7) are allegedly withholding information on the actual cases in the province.
Garcia debunked the allegations, saying that she will run after the purveyors of fake information.
"Ako? Motago sa tinuod? Accuse me of many things, isog ko, but you can never ever accuse me of lying. And you can never ever accuse me of not answering my duty as governor and that is to protect Cebu and the Cebuanos," said Garcia.
She also reminded the public to only trust information coming from legitimate sources of information such as the media, DOH, and the Office of the Governor.
DOH-7, on their official Facebook page, has also tagged the circulating post as "false and malicious".
They likewise reminded the public that spreading fake news online is punishable by law.
Three of the persons in the chat group have surrendered to Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella on Wednesday to explain their side.
Kevinn Ebo, one of the identified members of the said chat group, claimed the conversation was part of a prank and that neither he nor his colleagues know the person who leaked the screenshots online.
Despite the admission, Garcia said that the appropriate case will be filed against those responsible. (By Patty Candaza)
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