The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) has asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to look into and take possible legal action against several Facebook accounts that falsely claimed the Supreme Court had stopped the arrest of Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.
In a narrative report endorsed to the DOJ, the PCO Anti-Fake News Desk said the posts were false because the Supreme Court had denied Dela Rosa’s petition for a temporary restraining order against his arrest based on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
PCO Director Robertzon Ramirez, head of the Anti-Fake News Desk, made the endorsement involving the Facebook accounts and pages KaChizmaze, Booc TVs, Cris Lademora, and Lenny Quirz / Linie Quirong.
According to the PCO, the accounts published substantially similar posts claiming that the High Court had “officially stopped” any attempt to arrest or surrender Dela Rosa to the ICC or any foreign authority.
The posts were made to appear as news reports, using phrases such as “JUST IN,” “Breaking News,” “landmark ruling,” and “The Court clearly stated,” the PCO said.
The agency said the posts generated thousands of reactions, comments, and shares, with some users asking if the claim was true while others called for the senator’s arrest to be stopped.
The matter was referred to the DOJ for evaluation for possible violation of Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended by Republic Act 10951, in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
PCO Secretary Dave Gomez warned social media users and vloggers against spreading fabricated legal claims for online engagement.
“We warn vloggers and users of social media platforms: do not exploit public confusion for views, engagement, or monetization by spreading false news. Fabricating a Supreme Court ruling and presenting it as news is a serious offense,” Gomez said.
Gomez said the government remains serious in its campaign against disinformation, particularly content that harms public trust in democratic institutions.
The PCO said it would continue monitoring, documenting, and referring verified cases of criminal disinformation to the proper authorities.