PNP seeks brains behind sabungero fake news

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) is tracking down the people behind a disinformation attempt to muddle the ongoing probe into the alleged disappearance of at least 31 cockfight players or sabungeros.

Brig. Gen. Roderick Augustus Alba, the PNP’s public information officer, said investigators are working to unmask the people behind a Facebook post showing images of police officers conducting a crime scene investigation on several bodies.

“The PNP deplores this act of disinformation that only adds to the agony of the families of the missing persons,” he said in a statement.

Alba said it is also an attempt to mislead police investigators who are focused on finding out the truth behind the case of the missing cockfight gamers.

“The author of this disinformation will himself be investigated for his actions and possible link to the case of the missing persons,” he said.

A Facebook page named Netizens Arrest on Wednesday posted the photographs of corpses it said were some of the missing sabungeros.

Netizens Arrest had not taken down its post as of yesterday afternoon.

There were also rumors spreading on social media platforms that the bodies were found in Tanay, Rizal.

However, Alba said the images were pictures taken during an investigation of an ambush in Guidunlungan in Maguindanao last Feb. 12 wherein nine people were killed.