The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) announced that it is preparing to file charges next week against an unnamed lawmaker over a social media post related to the recent shooting incident at the Senate.
According to CICC Executive Director Usec. Aboy Paraiso, the agency’s legal team is currently working on a case for alarm and scandal after the legislator allegedly spread false information online during the May 13 Senate incident.
Paraiso said the post caused unnecessary public fear after it claimed that there were “multiple dead” following a reported gunfight inside the Senate building.
However, official reports from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) later confirmed that no one was injured or killed during the incident.
“(Nagbigay) sya ng pangamba sa ating mga kababayan. It's based on false information,” Paraiso said.
“So under our Revised Penal Code, it can be prosecuted under the case of alarms and scandals and further aggravated by the fact that it was done through social media,” he added.
Paraiso explained that the alleged offense may also fall under the provisions of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, which imposes heavier penalties for crimes committed using digital platforms.
The CICC official declined to confirm whether the lawmaker involved was Kiko Barzaga, whose now-deleted post previously circulated online during the height of the Senate shooting scare.
Authorities said the filing of charges is part of broader efforts to combat the spread of misinformation, particularly during incidents involving public safety and national security.
