NBI-7 asked to probe “cyber identity theft”

CEBU, Philippines -  Barely a month into the implementation of the controversial Cybercrime Law which penalizes online libel, three residents of Cordova town sought the assistance of the National Bureau of Investigation-7 after their identities on Facebook were allegedly used by another person to malign the town mayor and some members of his family.

Nerissa Omolon, Zenaida Densing and her daughter Madelyn Densing, all residents of Sitio Yalaya, Ibabao, Cordova, accused Deseree Mae Bentulan of “cyber identity theft.”

Bentulan allegedly used their identities on Facebook to make malicious imputations against Sherie Mae Sitoy, wife of town Councilor Ximgil Sitoy.

The complainants were assisted by lawyer Jo Feliz Marie dela Calzada in filing their complaint before the NBI-7. Dela Calzada said her clients are also planning to file a case in court against Bentulan for violation of the Cybercrime Law.

The complainants said Bentulan had been using their names since last year to malign other people. According to the complainants, they reported the incident to Facebook and traced one of the fake accounts to Bentulan.

Based on the verification made by Facebook the alleged fake account holder has a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), http://www.facebook.com/deseree.bentulan.

Dela Calzada believes Bentulan could have unwittingly changed her personal account into a troll one, which she named under Madelyn’s. There were also other accounts named after the complainants in the succeeding months.

Recently, another profile name was created by the name of “Sherie Mae Burikat,” which uses the URL: www.facebook.com/zenaida.densing, to which Zenaida also denied having created.

According to the complainants, the use of their identities on Facebook resulted in the filing of criminal complaints for libel against them.

Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy, who was one of those maligned on Facebook, filed the criminal complaint before the provincial prosecutor’s office in January against Madelyn and Omolon.

The mayor said he was called “kawatan” “kurakot” and other libelous statements on Facebook in the accounts of “Madelyn Magsalos Densing” and “Nirissa Omolon.” The mayor is asking P5-million damages from each of the respondents.

The complainants, however, believe that the complaint was politically motivated because they were known political allies of the opposition in Cordova.  (FREEMAN)