By: Jennifer P. Rendon
For the nth time, the Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 reiterated that abduction incidents in Western Visayas remain unconfirmed.
As such, it follows that no person can be held liable for a non-existent crime.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Joem Malong, PRO-6 spokesperson, made the clarification after reports of “white or green vans that are roaming to abduct school children” went viral.
“It’s not true. It’s fake news. The text messages that have been circulating appeared to be recycled from messages that also went viral a few years back,” she said.
Malong said she received text and Messenger messages about the presence of a group from Manila who are staying in Barangay San Isidro, Jaro, Iloilo City.
One of the group’s alleged member was already arrested, the messages added.
The group, which is targeting teenagers, is now in the towns of Sara and San Dionisio.
The message purportedly came from an NUP Gando as the source. NUP or non-uniformed personnel are civilian employees of the PNP.
Malong said she also received other messages indicating that similar incidents happened in Negros Occidental and Antique.
The alleged abduction reports came to fore after two high school students in La Paz, Iloilo City claimed a motorcycle-riding man tried to snatch them.
But the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) believed that the rider wanted to rob the girl of her mobile phone and personal belongings.
“It’s akin to budol-budol scheme. But this time around, they wanted to trick youngsters,” Police Captain Shella Mae Sangrines, ICPO spokesperson, said.
Even the presence of suspicious men in Jaro is not also true.
Police Captain Eduardo Siacon, Jaro police chief, said their investigation continues but nothing was verified until now.
“I hope people should be responsible which message to spread or share and which should not be,” he said.
The PNP said sharing unverified reports would only bring unnecessary fear to the public. It also denied reports of abduction to harvest internal organs of the victims.
