Probe social media posts sowing fear, violence – PNP

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May 16, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — In the aftermath of the shooting at the Senate building on Tuesday night, the Philippine National Police (PNP) ordered an investigation into the spate of social media posts exploiting the incident to sow fear and incite violence.

PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. instructed the Anti-Cybercrime Group to assist the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) in monitoring content creators who use the gunfire in the Senate to sow chaos.

“We will ensure accountability against those who would dare do that,” Nartatez said in a statement.

The DICT Cybersecurity Bureau received information from an online post about suspicious wireless access point or WiFi activity around the network environment of the Senate.

“Appropriate validation and assessment activities are being conducted to determine the nature and legitimacy of the information received,” the DICT said, as it clarified that the contents of the post remain unverified.  

The PNP is tightening its online monitoring to identify content that may affect public order and the integrity of its probe into the shooting.

Nartatez said the PNP is coordinating with the DICT in addressing misinformation on social media platforms.

He urged the public to remain calm and wait for the probe to be completed.

“We ask all our kababayan to refrain from engaging in speculations and remain calm as we commit to ferret out the truth about what happened,” Nartatez said.

Security tightened amid blackouts

Meanwhile, the PNP has heightened security measures to prevent criminals from carrying out nefarious activities in communities, as the country grapples with rotational brownouts.

Nartatez directed police units to beef up foot and mobile patrols in residential areas and commercial hubs during power interruptions, especially at night, to deter “akyat-bahay” burglars and other street-level criminals.

“Our personnel are instructed to utilize high-visibility tactics, including the use of blinkers and searchlights to let the community know that police are present and are vigilant even when the lights are out,” Nartatez said in a statement.

He added that the preventive posture is to address a potential increase in theft and robbery during prolonged periods of low visibility at night due to lack of electricity.

His order came after the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines issued a red alert and Meralco implemented rotational brownouts.

Police units were instructed to coordinate with barangay officials and local government units to reinforce watch systems during blackout schedules, particularly in densely populated neighborhoods and transport corridors.

“The public can expect a heightened police presence at critical transit points and areas with high foot traffic,” Nartatez said.

Emergency response units are on standby with alternative power sources to ensure that police units have uninterrupted communication and rapid deployment capability during power outages.