CIDG chief to file formal complaint against vlogger

Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Police Major General Nicolas Torre III is set to file a formal complaint against a vlogger for allegedly spreading false information suggesting he was recently hospitalized—a claim Torre has denied.

Torre said he plans to file charges under the Cybercrime Prevention Act, specifically for Unlawful Use of Means of Publication and Unlawful Utterances under the Revised Penal Code. 

The charges stem from social media posts made by a certain “Jun Abines.”

Abines had uploaded a photo purportedly showing Torre and captioned it with the question: “Isinugod daw sa ospital si Gen. Nicolas Torre?” 

(Was Gen. Nicolas Torre rushed to hospital?)

Torre dismissed the claim, saying the post led to unnecessary concern from his family, friends, and acquaintances. The post has since been taken down.

“Most probably it’s a real photo na sinuperimpose sa mukha ko. May double chin ‘yung tao eh,” Torre said in Vonne Aquino's report on GMA’s 24 Oras Weekend on Sunday.

(Most probably, it’s a real photo that was superimposed with my face. The person in the image had a double chin.) 

“Nangangamusta ang mga kaibigan, mga kakilala, mga kamag-anak hanggang sa abroad na, ‘Anong nangyari sa’yo? Grabe ka na ba? Malubha ka na ba?’ Sabi ko, ‘Napaka-foul naman nito,” he added.

(Friends, acquaintances, and even relatives from abroad were asking me, "What happened to you? Is it serious?" I thought, "This is just wrong.")

On Saturday, February 22, CIDG operatives, along with the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG), served a search warrant at Abines' residence in Cebu City. Authorities confiscated his electronic devices for further evidence gathering and analysis.

Torre challenged the vlogger to provide evidence for his claims, criticizing content creators who spread false information without accountability.

“Kasi itong problema sa mga vloggers na ito, daldal nang daldal, ayaw namang isulat, ayaw namang pirmahan ang kanilang mga claims para masagot natin nang maayos. Kaya I really don’t want to dignify those kinds of accusations,” he said.

(The problem with some vloggers is that they talk and talk, but they refuse to put their claims in writing or sign anything, making it difficult to properly address their accusations. That’s why I don’t want to dignify such baseless claims.)

GMA Integrated News We is still trying to get a statement from Abines. — Jon Viktor Cabuenas/DVM, GMA Integrated News