EDITORIAL - Of monsters, rumors, and false news

In case you haven’t heard, there are monsters on the loose and causing havoc in the south of Cebu.

At least that is what some people want others to believe.

Some residents in Sitio Mangga, Barangay Dumlog, Talisay City, claimed they saw a manananggal --a supernatural creature that can detach the upper part of its body and fly around looking for prey lurking in their area at night.

In Tuburan town, people claimed a creature with the body of a human but the head of a pig another mythical creature called the sigbin, which sucks the blood of its victims killed a cow by fracturing its neck.

Authorities have already cautioned the public against sharing unverified information that can cause panic among people.

We acknowledge that even until now there are things that science cannot fully explain, creatures that haven’t been brought to the attention of most, species that have not been catalogued. Things like these are what keep our world interesting.

However, what is also stupefying is that in this day and age people still fall prey to false reports, unverified rumors, or even false news. And this is sad because nowadays information can be had at our fingertips in mere seconds with just a few presses of a button or swipes of a screen.

In short, it really does not take much effort or take long to check if something is either true or false.

While false reports, unverified rumors, or even false news already cause damage, those that tend to cause panic like unverified reports of monsters on the loose are even more destructive, especially if some people are called to action to protect themselves or their loved ones.

It would be good if false news and rumors were just confined to the existence of mythical creatures, because sometimes they extend to historical and factual events, bending the truth to accommodate lies. And when people believe them they end up making the wrong choices, lobbying for the wrong cause, or even giving the wrong people power.

And when that happens some people end up worse than any monster our imagination can produce.