MANILA, Philippines — The chief of the Philippine National Police on Tuesday slammed what he called 'the malicious posting of photos' taken at a private event and alleging quarantine violations.
This comes after photos of Police Gen. Archie Gamboa, chief of the PNP, were posted by The Philippine STAR showing the general celebrating with a group of people without face masks and not observing physical distancing. The newspaper claimed the photographs were sent by a credible source.
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The photos have since been taken down, but not before they went viral on social media, racking up thousands of shares on Facebook.
The national police's public information office said in a statement sent to reporters Tuesday afternoon that the posters were possibly liable for violations of Republic Act No. 10175 or the Anti-Cybercrime Law.
"The PNP warns the public and purveyors of fake news from sharing such photos as there are other private individuals in the picture whose right to privacy may have been violated," the agency's statement read.
A report by Rappler found that the pictures were actually taken at a private event in February, weeks before community quarantine was first implemented.
As it stands, Gamboa is already in hot water after a separate viral post accused the country's top cop of holding a concert party in Baguio City. He has since denied the allegations.
"We urge all persons who posted, shared, and forwarded these images in social media to immediately take these fake news down or face possible criminal charges." — Franco Luna