ILOILO City – There was no truth to reports about a group of men abducting Iloilo schoolchildren, harvesting the latter’s internal organs and selling these to clients in Metro Manila, according to the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6).
“Fake news” was how PRO-6 spokesperson Police Lieutenant Colonel Joem Malong described the reports.
None of the police units in this city and Iloilo province reported having received complaints about abducted children, Malong stressed.
“The fake report goes way back to some five years ago. There’s no proof and no report of missing children,” she added.
Malong appealed to the public not to panic.
“But I would like to advise parents and children to be extra careful. Basi may mga grupo nga sakyan ang issue,” said Malong.
To ease public anxiety, Malong said policemen have been ordered to maximize their visibility.
Some parents panicked after receiving text messages about the alleged abduction, the PRO-6 spokesperson lamented.
One text message read: “Paki kalat lang po ng number ng mga nangunguha ng bata, pati mga dalaga, at pinasakay sa whitevan na may plate No. VXM-351 and green na van na may plateNo. XMM-507. From San Jose Municipal Station.”
“There is no truth to it. Someone wants to sow fear and create panic,” said Malong.
Other text message read: “Beware of a white van with plate number XMN-531, confirmed to operate in Mina-Pototan area. Four kids are reported missing in Zarraga, 8-15 age gina-kidnap nila, ginapatay kag kuhaan internal organs.”
Iloilo police director Police Colonel Roland Vilela dismissed the text messages, too.
“There are no police reports on missing persons, especially children and women, so do not panic. It’s fake news,” said Vilela./PN