QUEZON CITY, (PIA) — The municipal government of Pateros has dismissed reports of an alleged attempted abduction of students from a public elementary school.
In a Facebook post, the local government said, “Dahil sa kumakalat na balita na nagkaroon ng pagtatangkang pagdukot o pangingidnap ng mga mag-aaral na elementarya ng Pateros Elementary School sa Barangay San Pedro, ay nagsagawa ng agarang imbestigasyon ang Philippine National Police sa utos ng ating Punong Bayan at lumabas sa resulta ng imbestigasyon na ito ay walang katotohanan.” (Due to the circulating news that there was an attempted kidnapping or abduction of elementary school students of Pateros Elementary School in Barangay San Pedro, the Philippine National Police conducted an immediate investigation on the orders of our Mayor, and the results revealed that this is untrue).
The statement emphasized that authorities are actively monitoring the situation to prevent any such incidents in the community.
“Nakikiusap din po tayo na iwasan natin ang pagkakalat ng mga ganitong pangyayari kung ito ay hindi natin natitiyak at tayo ay walang basehan,” it added. (We also ask that we refrain from spreading such incidents if we are not sure and have no basis).
In recent weeks, rumors of child abductions have circulated on social media, particularly involving children in neighboring areas like Taguig and Muntinlupa.
A vlogger recently issued an apology after posting a video claiming to depict an abduction in Muntinlupa.
“I apologize to the public. The video that was posted was fake news. Unverified video. It did not happen in Muntinlupa,” the vlogger said on February 4.
The Muntinlupa Police, meanwhile, urged the public to exercise caution regarding unverified videos involving minors or alleged crimes, warning that sharing such content could lead to harmful consequences. Similarly, Barangay Central Bicutan in Taguig apologized for initially warning about an alleged child abduction that was later determined to be false.
“We sincerely apologize for the previous public announcement regarding the alleged incident of a child being taken by a White Van. After further investigation, we have determined that it was a different and isolated case but not related to kidnapping,” the barangay said, emphasizing their commitment to accurate communication in the future. (JEG/PIA-NCR)
Authorities are continuously monitoring alleged incidents.
Likewise, residents are urged to always check information and avoid spreading unverified news. (JEG/PIA-NCR)
