NBI lauded for raps vs Cebu vlogger
Inquirer file photo
MANILA, Philippines — Lawmakers on Sunday lauded the National Bureau of Investigation for its arrest of a vlogger from Cebu, who admitted to creating and posting fake content depicting President Marcos.
House Assistant Majority Leader Amparo Maria Zamora cited the NBI’s arrest of Wendelyn Magalso of Oslob, Cebu, who admitted to manipulating content depicting Marcos supposedly saying illegal drugs should be legalized in the country.
Zamora, the Taguig representative, said the NBI’s action should serve as a reminder that online deception carries serious consequences.
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“This case is a stark reminder that freedom of expression is not freedom to deceive,” Zamora said.
“There are limits to being a ‘content creator,’ especially if you do it to slander, spread lies and profit from fraud. If you choose to spread fake news, there are consequences,” she added.
According to the NBI, Magalso supposedly altered a TV5 news post by inserting fabricated quotes attributed to Marcos and allegedly edited her video to mislead viewers that the President had pushed to legalize narcotics.
Outright deception
Magalso was arrested based on a complaint by TV5 and allegedly admitted to making the post to earn money from views. She is set to be charged with violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
“It wasn’t a simple opinion. It was outright deception,” Zamora pointed out in Filipino, emphasizing, “And if you even impersonated the President or a legitimate media outlet to make it look real, it’s clear that you had the intention to deceive.”
The lawmaker highlighted the urgency of boosting digital literacy and holding content creators to account, saying: “We need to teach the youth how to distinguish between what’s true and what’s fake.”
In a related development, Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, the House assistant majority leader, also lauded the NBI for filing charges against four employees of the Davao civil registrar who allegedly issued fraudulent birth certificates to Chinese nationals.
Adiong called for a deeper probe by government agencies on the alleged falsification operations of the indicted Davao civil registrar employees, warning that it could be part of a broader scheme.
But he pointed out that the NBI’s probe shouldn’t stop with one office, saying: “This kind of syndicate work could not have thrived without a broader network. We should look for similar operations in other parts of the country, especially during the Duterte administration when Chinese influence grew unchecked.”
The NBI filed multiple counts of falsification of public documents, graft and corruption, perjury and violation of the registry of civil status in the Office of the Ombudsman against four former Sta. Cruz town civil registrar employees for allegedly issuing fake birth records to Chinese nationals so they could assume Filipino citizenship and secure Philippine passports.
According to Adiong, “any Filipino who helps a foreign national, especially someone from a country aggressively encroaching on our territory, commit fraud should be ashamed of themselves. This isn’t just a case of corruption. This is treasonous behavior.”
He called on the Department of Justice, the Philippine Statistics Authority, and the Department of Foreign Affairs to conduct a thorough review of all birth records issued in the last ten years in areas where high volumes of Chinese migrants have been reported.
The lawmaker, likewise, urged the Bureau of Immigration to cross-check alien employment permits and investor visas against possible fraudulent identities.
