Police to take action against Sona disruptors

The police have started tracking down individuals and groups that supposedly tried to disrupt the State of the Nation Address (Sona) of President Marcos on July 27.

“We respect every Filipino’s right to free expression, but we will take appropriate legal action against individuals who use digital platforms to incite violence, spread credible threats or facilitate criminal activities,” Philippine National Police chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a statement on Thursday.

“The PNP, through our Anti-Cybercrime Group and in close coordination with the CICC (Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center) and other partner agencies, is actively pursuing all available leads to identify those behind these online accounts,” he added.

Nartatez urged the public to “remain vigilant, avoid sharing unverified or malicious content and immediately report suspicious online posts to the authorities.”

The CICC, through its cyber monitoring operations, earlier flagged at least nine individuals and groups that allegedly encouraged the public to gather and create disturbances during the Sona. The operations were part of the PNP’s security measures for the President’s yearly address before Congress, said CICC head Undersecretary Aboy Paraiso.

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Peaceful but…

Although no untoward incidents took place during the Sona, two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were recovered separately hours before the President’s speech outside the Department of Justice (DOJ) building in Manila and the Senate office in Pasay City. Although the IED outside the DOJ had exploded, no one was reported killed or injured.

Nartatez said the police already had leads on the origin of the recovered explosive devices but did not give other details.