The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said it has identified five persons of interest allegedly involved in encouraging people online to go to the Senate and create unrest.
During an interview on DZRH's Dos Por Dos, DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said the individuals have already been referred to law enforcement authorities for further investigation.
“Mayroon na kaming 5 persons of interest na nirefer na rin namin sa law enforcers,” Aguda said.
He clarified that there was no actual cyberattack involved, saying the issue stemmed from individuals openly posting statement online encouraging disruptive actions.
“Hindi naman siya man in the middle dahil wala naman nagtry mag-atake. This is plain na sila mismo ang nagsalita nanghihikayat ng mga tao,” he said.
According to Aguda, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. instructed government agencies to help maintain peaceful discourse online, especially as emotions continue to run high over current political developments.
“‘Yung mandato sa amin ng Pangulo na panatilihing peaceful ‘yung diskurso sa internet. May iba na naghihikayat sa Sendo na pasukin, may gumawa ng video sabi namin. Huwag naman makakadagdag lang ng gulo doon sa lugar na yun mas delikado yun sapagkat maraming kabayan natin na heighten na heighten ‘yung damdamin ng pupunta doon,” he said.
The DICT also coordinated with major social media platforms, including Meta and TikTok, regarding the online posts.
“Kapag mga ganyan naman ‘yan may mga platforms inalert din kami. Meta, Tiktok. Inalert kami na namonitor nila na ang dami raw ganun. Infairness to them might to acknowledge sa mga platforms ngayon violations din kasi yun sa kanilang community standard,” Aguda said.
He stressed that online statements encouraging violence or public disorder are prohibited and may have legal consequences.
The DICT said it is preserving evidence gathered from social media platforms and processing the information for turnover to law enforcement agencies.
Asked whether influential personalities were involved, Aguda declined to identify individuals but said those monitored were familiar figures frequently seen on social media.
“Hindi ko na muna sana babanggitin, pero ‘yung mga nakita ko naman don mga usual na nagsasalita sa social media. Hindi ko naman masasabi na influential , hindi ko namna masabi na common kasi madalas na [nagsasalita] sa media ‘yun eh. Pwede nating sabihin na common na nag-iinstigate sa sa social media,” he said.
He added that some of the names being monitored were also linked to previous rally organizing efforts. However, Aguda clarified that no celebrities or major personalities were involved.
Among the examples of online messages monitored by authorities were posts urging people to go to the Senate, force their way inside, and bring weapons such as clubs or bats.
“Magpuntahan sila sa Senado, tapos pasukin at makigulo. Violence and unrest etc. Pasukin, magdala ng pamalo,” Aguda said.
The DICT chief urged the public to remain calm and avoid being misled by unverified information online.
“Ang una kong advice yung sinabi nga ni Presidente kalma muna tayo. Maraming nangyayari sa pilipinas at buong mundo, huwag po tayong magpadala sa emosyon,” he said.
Aguda also encouraged the public to verify the credibility of news and social media content before sharing or reacting to it.
“Kapag nakita niyo ang balita, ang lagi niyong tingnan verified ba yan. Galing ba yan sa reputable journalist, galing ba yan sa reputable news source,” he said.
He warned the public to be cautious of manipulated content, including possible deepfakes and emotionally charged headlines designed to provoke reactions.
