By ERWIN MASCARIÑAS
Correspondent
BUTUAN City – Police have filed charges against a pastor who allegedly posted false information on his Facebook page about individuals who supposedly contracted the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Lt. Ronald Baiño, officer-in-charge of Veruela police station said they filed a case on March 16, against Pastor Michael Perez Gumonit of Barangay Binucayan, Loreto, Agusan del Sur. He is a pastor of International One Way Outreach Foundation Inc. in Barangay Binongan, Veruela.
Gumonit allegedly posted on Facebook about two positive cases of Covid-19 in barangays San Gabriel and Santa Emelia in Veruela, citing the municipal police as his source.
The town police, however, denied having issued such a statement.
“The suspect eventually issued a public apology accepting his mistakes but he will still be facing charges and the suspect will be arrested as soon as the warrant will be issued,” said Baiño.
Caraga police director Brig. Gen. Joselito Esquivel Jr. said the pastor is facing cases for “Unlawful Use of Means of Publication” and “Unlawful Utterances” in relation to the Anti-Cybercrime Law.
In March 14, Agusan del Sur Gov. Santiago Cane Jr. asked the police to file charges against Gumonit after he saw the “fake news”online.
“If you will spread fake news that will cause panic and worry among our populace, will a public apology be suitable enough to get someone absolved of his wrongdoing? If that would be the case then more people will just make up their own fake news then they will just issue their own public apology after. This is not right, what you did in your own should have its balanced responsibilities that you are answerable to,” reads Cane’s Facebook post.
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