Mocha Uson summoned by NBI over fake news
MANILA, Philippines (Update 2: May 14, 2020, 3:26 p.m.) — The National Bureau of Investigation is conducting probe into Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Deputy Administrator Mocha Uson for posting fake news.
NBI Deputy Director Ferdinand Lavin confirmed to reporters that the NBI-Cybercrime Division is investigating Uson for fake news. A subpoena has also been sent to the OWWA official.
“There was an order of [Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra] before for NBI to investigate fake news, we included her in the investigation re: posting of PPEs,” Lavin said.
Lavin added there are private complainants against the OWWA official.
On April 2, Uson posted photos of new sets of personal protective equipment supposedly purchased by the government, but one of the photos came from SM Foundation.
Uson’s Facebook page has 5.96 million followers.
The OWWA official later changed the photo and apologized for the “misleading content on the meme” she attributed to an article posted by Philstar.com entitled “First Batch of 1 Million PPEs Delivered.”
“The photo used on the meme was taken directly from Philstar.com which has since been updated with a new image by the said website,” she added.
NBI fake news probes
Early in February, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra directed the NBI to conduct a case build up against people “on the alleged deliberate spread of misinformation and fake news about... and false reporting of the [COVID-19].”
The Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, signed late March, also prohibits the spread of false information regarding the COVID-19 crisis on social media.
The NBI said early April that they sent out dozens of “invitations” to individuals under its fact-finding probe into social media posts bearing false news.
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