The alleged assassination attempt on presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. may have been linked to an old news report aired by GMA News in 2015.
A video post on Facebook shared on February 1, 2022 went viral with a caption that read, “Our
candidate is in danger” with a superimposed text on the footage that read, “BBM assassination 2022?”
The video has been shared a couple of times on Facebook and in other social media sites, which some netizens believed was recent.
However, the original video was aired by GMA News in 2015.
The video, which garnered more than three million views, was about a news report on a bullet hole that was found at Marcos’ office at Sunset View building when he was still a senator from 2010 to 2016.
Some netizens said the original video has been posted and shared with a misleading context.
Last month, reports of an assassination threat against Marcos also went viral on social media.
The threat was reportedly posted on social media platform TikTok that bears the username
@joiedevivre420.
The TikTok video post mentioned a threat to Marcos, which said: “Nagme-meeting kami araw-araw para paghandaang ipa-aasasinate (sic) naming si BBM. Humanda kayo.”
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra earlier said they are investigating the threat with the help of the Department of Justice’s cybercrime unit.
Guevarra said the DOJ is taking the threat seriously as he ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to validate it.
“If a bomb joke is actionable, so is a threat of assassination, whether true or not. The NBI will give priority attention to any validated information pertaining to a threat to the personal security of any presidential aspirant,” Guevarra said.
On Wednesday, Guevarra said the person identified with the TikTok username @joiedevivre420 that was linked to the alleged assassination threat against Marcos surrendered to the NBI.
“The owner of the account voluntarily turned himself into the NBI yesterday (Tuesday). He was advised to secure the assistance of counsel. I think he went to the NBI to give his side, but he’s not under arrest,” Guevarra said.
Eric Distor, NBI officer-in-charge director, identified the owner of the TikTok account as Ruel ‘Bong’ Ricafort.
Distor said Ricafort went to the NBI’s Anti Organized and Transnational Crime Division (AOTCD) to file a complaint against those who “maliciously used his name on TikTok.”
In his statement to the NBI, Ricafort said he found out that someone has illegally used his TikTok account and made it appear that his group is planning to assassinate Marcos.
Guevarra refused to provide any details of the case due to security reasons.
Philippine News Network 