Cebu firm probed for spreading hoax warning on gang’s bloody:Share your comments

[RhosAn_Morbid]

---

Cebu firm probed for spreading hoax warning on gang’s bloody
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/ceb...ticle_id=95200
Cebu Daily News
Last updated 09:56am (Mla time) 10/18/2007
MANILA — The Philippine National Police (PNP) is investigating the liability of a Cebu-based company for circulating a hoax warning, through email and text messages, about a street gang patrolling city streets to randomly kill motorists.
Supt. Rommel Miranda, the PNP deputy spokesman, said a unit in the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) with expertise in computer crimes has been probing into the possible liability of Celestica Philippines which allegedly circulated the hoax through email to its employees.
“We want to determine how the hoax was transmitted since this constitutes a willful dissemination of false information,” Miranda said.
He added that the hoax perpetrator could be charged with unlawful rumor mongering.
He said the PNP did not issue any warning on the roaming street gang, adding that there was no threat to motorists in Metro Manila.
The false warning emanated from email messages circulating on the Internet which contained an attached file of a memorandum issued on Oct. 8, by Celestica to its employees.
The memo claimed that a street gang called “Bloods” drive around on Friday and Saturday nights attacking victims as part of the gang's initiation rites for new members.
It also instructed Celestica employees to “share this information with all the drivers in your family.”
A text version of the tale, apparently derived from the email warning, was later circulated among mobile telephone subscribers encouraging people to pass on the “information” to others.
Miranda said the PNP has not received any report of an incident as described in the supposed warning.
Celestica Philippines, through its Senior Manager Jeoffrey Escala, communicated with the PNP via email on Tuesday apologizing for the apparent indiscretion of issuing such an alarming but false notice to its employees.
“When we came to know about the potential risk, we issued the memo with pure good intention of highlighting the situation to our employees,” Escala said adding that “we did not plan to escalate this warning beyond our employees, and it is unfortunate that the memo ended up in mass distribution beyond our company.”
Miranda said the apology does not relieve the Cebu-based firm of any liability for spreading the rumor.
“If you transgress the law and you apologize, you can still be charged. The company should have verified the information with any police unit in their area,” Miranda said.
He noted that a similar hoax warning was circulated in the United States several years ago.
This was dismissed by state and federal authorities as an urban legend, said Miranda. /INQUIRER

[jay_sn0w]

d diay jd tinuod?...


heheh ka receive ko txt bya ane....

[0.5331534]

It's a hoax. The story is an old urban legend... Pro naa duda mga tao krn na lahi ang style sa gans dre sa Cebu... Kabantay mo sa mga random shootout nya ang mga biktima k mga inosente? Be safe mga guys... Simbako lng...

[RhosAn_Morbid]

Yah, its true that this gang's exist but not totally like the urban legend kind of thing. This groups are somehow kids that are wannabe gangsters,careful lang ta. Daghan kaayo mga crime nga walay kalro ang motive, some of this kids could be involved.

[brownprose]

yes it's a hoax but never lose grip...these gangs may make good of what's been circulated. too bad we're giving them an idea.

[0.5331534]

Mao, bugitz raba kaau ni sila nya makakuha na nuon silag idea...

[brownprose]

Mao, bugitz raba kaau ni sila nya makakuha na nuon silag idea...

sakto...bisag y sapi para sabon ikaligo...ako pa nila manaygon nalang na sila

[Baroy]

false information...
but try to take extra carefull especially gang wars are very rampant.
ingat lang ta mga istoryans..

[SamuraiArcher]

okay ra pud na-ay warnings bisan dili tinuod....

[victor3]

Manubag gyud ang celestica sa ila gibuhat ug sa future consequences niana. Tsismoso man diay na ila tig-circulate og memo.

PRO-ACTIVE, mao na'y overused term ron sa mga dagkong kompanya nga initiate dayon og actions based on feelers or raw information. The company only ended up spreading rumors nga naghatag na hinuon og idea sa mindless individuals to do the same. Sakto gyud to gi-ingon sa usa ka management guru nga "the only way to predict the future is to create it."