By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD CITY — The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) suspects that rumors of kidnappings circulating in the city could be part of a deliberate attempt to undermine public confidence and target specific individuals.
“While I cannot say with certainty if there’s sabotage, I am entertaining the possibility because of hashtags on social media such as #weakbacolodpolice and #bacolodnotsafe,” Police Colonel Joeresty Coronica, BCPO officer-in-charge, stated during a press briefing at the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) yesterday, alongside Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez.
The most recent alleged abduction, reported on August 20, involved a 19-year-old college student from Binalbagan, Negros Occidental.
She was reportedly rescued in Barangay Sampinit, Bago City, after being allegedly kidnapped.
Colonel Coronica shared that the investigation into the incident is ongoing.
According to the victim’s account, she was abducted and hogtied by two unidentified individuals in a van while walking near the gate of Burgos Public Cemetery at around 8:10 p.m.
However, discrepancies have emerged in the case, as CCTV footage from the area showed no evidence of a kidnapping at the reported time and location.
“There are questions that need answers, like why she ended up near the cemetery when she was supposed to buy food in Barangay 17,” Coronica noted.
He directed further investigation to obtain additional CCTV footage, suggesting that the incident might have occurred elsewhere, or that the victim may have been confused.
“We do not take the report at face value; that’s why we’re conducting validation. We’re not saying it’s untrue, but we need more evidence,” Coronica added.
Prior to this incident, BCPO had already dismissed earlier kidnapping and robbery reports circulating on social media as fake news.
These reports surfaced following a series of operations against illegal drugs conducted by the city police.
“There are a lot of possibilities. I don’t know what these people are trying to project, or who they’re targeting,” Coronica said, indicating that the motives behind the fake news could be complex.
Mayor Benitez has expressed concern about the impact of these rumors on the city’s reputation.
He announced that the city government is considering legal action against those responsible for spreading false information.
The City Legal Office (CLO) has been tasked with identifying the individuals involved and gathering evidence for the filing of criminal charges.
“We will not allow these people to put Bacolod in a bad light,” Mayor Benitez emphasized.
When asked whether the spread of fake news could be politically motivated, Benitez declined to comment directly but assured that those responsible would be held accountable according to the law.
