MANILA - The Philippine National Police (PNP) Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) urged netizens to be wary of posting and sharing information in their respective social media accounts to avoid being charged for violation of cybercrime laws. This, after ACG chief Brig. Gen. Joel Doria instructed all ACG commanders to intensify the conduct of cyber patrolling and to validate all videos that have been circulating on social media. As more and more fake videos circulate on social media, he told the regional commanders to do the monitoring "with a stricter approach." "I appeal to the public not to believe easily, videos or posts that you see online, especially if these posts have not been validated by your PNP. Your PNP ACG is working double time to ensure that the safety of every 'Juan' in cyberspace is attained. To all spreaders of fake news, remember this: 'We Are Watching You'," Doria said in a statement on Sunday. He said all spreaders of fake news must be monitored and social media exploitation must be conducted to identify the person who orchestrated it. "Once identified, appropriate charges should be filed," he added. Doria said information sabotage should not be tolerated as it creates a feeling of panic in the community. "Spreaders of unvalidated information/news should be made accountable for creating undue fear," he said. Under Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code, (Unlawful use of means of publication and unlawful utterances), any person who by means of printing, lithography or any other means of publication shall publish or cause to be published as news any false news which may endanger the public order, or cause damage to the interest or credit of the state will be liable under this article in relation to Section 6 of Republic Act (RA) 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012). Doria said the ACG filed a criminal complaint against one foreign social media influencer and four other vloggers at the Hall of Justice in Quezon City last Friday for allegedly destroying Philippine currency and posting it on social media. Suspects will be facing charges for violation of Presidential Decree 247 (Prohibiting and Penalizing Defacement, Mutilation, Tearing, Burning or destruction of Central Bank Notes) and Article 154 both in relation to Section 6 of RA 1075. On Aug. 12, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas requested the technical assistance of the ACG office in the conduct of social media exploitation and monitoring of the activities of the social media accounts of the suspects identified as Samer Ousta, a Syrian national with aliases "ForeignGerms and Habibi Sami" ()"; Arnold Galentes Rogero, a.k.a "Cholo TV"; Carl Romulo Miclat Quion a.k.a "Carl Quion , carlquion"; Ritchard Pinero Eramel a.k.a "ekongyahoo.com"; and Joel Espinosa Mallanao a.k.a "qyuarfheerzzchyam" to gather additional information and facts relevant to the matter for the filing of appropriate criminal content. Cyber patrolling done by ACG's cybercops revealed that the video posted by Samer in his social media account in TikTok and Facebook showed him tearing in half a banknote and asking for help from random people on the street to help him fix his torn PHP20 bill as part of his social experiment. Rogero in his social media "Cholo TV" account was seen stapling several NGC (New Generation Currency) banknotes as part of a basketball fun-shoot game played by the creator of his content, his partner while Quion was seen poking a hole into a one-thousand-peso bill trying to portray a role of a magician. Eramel, on his Facebook and TikTok account, used a PHP500 bill to wipe off dirt from his shoes and crumpled each bill and throwing it on the street's pavement, and Mallanao defaced a PHP50 bill legal tender and used it as a funnel to transfer petroleum products. "Let this serve as a warning to all media influencers or vloggers to be mindful of the content that you post in social media. Having numerous followers and viewers does not guarantee that you are free to violate any laws of the land," Doria said. (PNA) }