The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) is set to file criminal charges next week against an unnamed lawmaker who allegedly broadcasted false information on social media during the recent security scare at the Senate.
CICC Executive Director Usec. Aboy Paraiso revealed that the agency’s legal department is finalizing a case for alarm and scandal. The lawmaker’s online post reportedly triggered widespread public anxiety by falsely claiming that a gunfight inside the Senate premises had left “multiple dead.”
Official updates from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) later debunked the claims, confirming that the May 13 incident resulted in zero casualties or injuries.
“(Nagbigay) sya ng pangamba sa ating mga kababayan. It’s based on false information,” Paraiso stated.
He caused anxiety among our countrymen. It’s based on false information.
“So under our Revised Penal Code, it can be prosecuted under the case of alarms and scandals and further aggravated by the fact that it was done through social media,” he added.
Paraiso emphasized that because the misinformation was spread via digital platforms, the offense falls under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, which mandates stiffer penalties for crimes committed online.
While online speculations pointed to Cavite 4th District Representative Kiko Barzaga—who had deleted a related post during the height of the panic—Paraiso declined to confirm the identity of the legislator. Authorities maintained that the impending lawsuit underscores a stricter crackdown on digital misinformation that compromises public safety and national security.