TikTok account in Bongbong ‘kill plot’ identified

MANILA, Philippines (Updated February 3, 9:06 a.m.) — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has identified the account on social media platform TikTok that posted an assassination plot against presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) director Brig. Gen. Robert Rodriguez named the user as @ljluna7.

The account’s user commented that they are holding a meeting every day in preparation for Marcos’ assassination.

The account, which supports the Kabataan party-list and has 133 followers, has since been banned by TikTok Philippines.

The source data was preserved to establish the identity of the account’s owner, according to Rodriguez.

All screenshots of the alleged threatening comments were taken from open sources.

“We have to bear in mind that the TikTok app is something that people don’t take seriously,” Rodriguez said in a statement, noting that TikTok is usually used by people to relieve stress through dancing, lip synching, acting and dubbing.

“So, before we conclude anything with regard to the online threat, we have to investigate and validate the veracity of the report,” he added.

The PNP official instructed ACG units to continuously be on the lookout for similar issues and concerns in compliance to the guidance of PNP chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos for peaceful and honest elections on May 9.

Disclosure warrant

As this developed, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the PNP are reportedly working on securing a disclosure warrant to be served on TikTok to gain information on the alleged assassination plot against Marcos.

The NBI-Cybercrime Division (CCD) and the PNP-ACG are still in the process of applying for a disclosure warrant, according to Department of Justice-Office of Cybercrime (DOJ-OCC) officer-in-charge Charito Zamora.

“A disclosure warrant is needed before TikTok divulges the information that we requested them to preserve,” she added.

The DOJ-OCC official revealed that the investigating units already have “initial information” as to the identity of the person who allegedly posted the threat against Marcos; however, she could not release the details on the progress of the probe since the investigation is still ongoing.

Zamora said she received a text report last Jan. 28 “wherein the subject commented a serious threat to a TikTok video posted by another TikTok account with username @joiedevivre420. The said comment states in toto: ‘Nagmemeeting kami araw araw para paghandaang ipa aasasinate naming si BBM humanda kayo’.”

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra had earlier said the OCC received an online tip regarding an alleged assassination plot against Marcos which they are treating as a “serious nature.”

Guevarra likened the plot to a bomb scare.

“If a bomb joke is actionable, so is a threat of assassination, whether true or not,” he said.

Meanwhile, the tandem of Marcos and vice presidential aspirant and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio remains “strong and unbreakable.”

Marcos made this assurance as he denied rumors that his camp has been meeting with another vice presidential candidate, Senate President Vicente Sotto III. – Evelyn Macairan, Edu Punay, Jose Rodel Clapano, Edith Regalado