PNP looking for person behind fake social media account of Sinas

December 30, 2020

The Philippine National Police- Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) is  hunting the person using the name oaf PNP chief General Debold Sinas to malign the organization.

Sinas said a social media account with his name is engaged in estafa and swindling activities.

“That’s not me. I do not have a personal webpage or social network account except the official PNP webpage and the official PNP Facebook page which are the only authorized platform for social network correspondence with the Chief, PNP,” Sinas said.

Sinas directed the ACG to conduct a thorough investigation and to initiate appropriate legal action against the creators and owners of the account.

Brig. General Ildebrandi Usana,  PNP spokesperson, earlier said the account is fake.

“The use of Chief, PNP's name, photos and other items appearing to be attributed to his person was apparently a devious act by unscrupulous individuals using the social media to malign the PNP top leadership,” it said.

“At this point, the PNP is on computer forensics to locate the perpetrators behind this wrongful act in violation of the Anti-Cybercrime Act,” it added.

Brig. Gen Marvin Manuel Pepino, ACG director, said the bogus account had an earliest public posting on November 25, 2020 and latest public posting on December 12, 2020.

“The account has only three public photos posted including the standard photo of the CPNP for command activities and the donning of ranks in the Malacañang Palace with President Rodrigo Roa Duterte,” Pepino said.

He added the account is active via Messenger where the suspect communicates to unsuspecting victims mostly asking favors while the poser makes promises to act on it in exchange for consideration or payment for his alleged personnel who will process the victim's request.

The PNP-ACG is in the process of securing a court order for warrant to disclose computer data (WDCD) for Facebook, telecommunication companies and internet  service providers  based on complaint affidavits of  complainants or their legal representatives.

Pepino said the creator and owner of the fake account may be held liable for Computer-Related Identity Theft under RA 10175 where  the complaining victim is the chief PNP; and for violation of Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code for Swindling/Estafa upon complaint of victims.

PNP advised the public to be discerning  at everything they see in the social media.

“Some of the things seen in social media do not anymore reflect the truth and legitimacy of the information and tend to destroy the reputations of innocent individuals,” it said. Ella Dionisio/DMS