BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) will no longer pursue criminal charges against a social media page administrator who threatened presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo who was then set to campaign in the town of Binalbagan last week.
NOCPPO spokesperson Police Lieutenant Abegael Donasco said Robredo herself opted not to file charges against the social media administrator, who was later identified to be a male teenager.
In a social media post, the teenager threatened to throw acid at Robredo should she come to Binalbagan.
The teen’s threat was thought to be a revenge plot after an alleged Robredo supporter threw an object against presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. during his own campaign rally in the province back in February.
According to Donasco, they could have filed charges against the teen related to the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
Binalbagan town mayor Alejandro Mirasol reminded the public that hurling threats is a crime, and even hinted that since Robredo currently holds the second highest position in the country, charges related to the Anti-Terror Act of 2020 could have also been filed against the teenager.
The incident even earned the ire of Negros Occidental vice governor and Marcos supporter Jeffrey Ferrer, who immediately condemned the threat.
Robredo’s campaign in Binalbagan was peacefully held at the Binalbagan Catholic College on Friday last week, albeit extra security precautions were put in place./PN
