Police doubt teens momo challenge yarn

The 15-year-old boy’s alleged participation in a controversial social media challenge that drove cops into frenzy last week remains doubtful.

The PNP Regional Anti-Cybercrime Office 6 said it did not find any evidence to suggest that Jun (real name withheld), a Grade 9 student from Arevalo, Iloilo City, indeed participated in the Momo Challenge.

Police Major Joseph Villaran, Regional Anti-Cybercrime Office 6 deputy chief, said they investigated Jun on Monday with the consent of his parents.

He said they did not find any link or proof that he participated in the Momo Challenge Task.

“It’s either hindi na namin makita ang link or hindi talaga sya nagsasabi ng totoo,” Villaran said.

Police anti-cybercrime operatives tried to access the link that Jun may have used in the game but to no avail.

Jun told police officers that he used the Google search engine to gain access to the Momo Challenge.

Villaran said he is no psychologist to decipher if the teenager was telling the truth, “but he directly answered our questions.”

It was earlier reported said that the Momo Challenge, which allegedly drives children to participate in dangerous tasks, was a hoax.

The game features the image of “Momo” appearing on apps such as WhatsApp and YouTube.

But an article from The Atlantic said that the “Momo challenge” is a “recurring viral hoax.”

Jun went home 12:10 a.m. of March 1, 2019 after several hours of disappearance. He initially claimed to have been abducted by armed persons, along with several other children.

Accompanied by his mother and aunt, he hurriedly reported the incident to Arevalo Police Station to inform authorities about what happened to him and the other kids.

The Arevalo police immediately conducted follow-up operations that brought them to the towns of Cabatuan, Sta. Barbara, and San Miguel in Iloilo province.

But hours later and with three police units already involved, Jun squealed that the abduction was a hoax as he only participated in the Momo Challenge.

He claimed he only knew about the challenge a day before.

The Momo master allegedly ordered him to go on a challenge the following day. He was told to go to a very far place then run back home.

The order was done through chat messaging and in English language. He was told to delete their conversation history.

Once he arrives home, he was ordered to fake losing consciousness.

Jun said the Momo Master told him that he will be killed or has to commit suicide if he does not follow the instructions.

But with the recent development, police operatives are not discounting that Jun’s participation with the Momo Challenge could yet be another lie.