MANILA, Philippines — There has been no confirmed report of kidnapping of children in Quezon City, Mayor Joy Belmonte said yesterday following unverified social media posts.
Belmonte urged the public to refrain from sharing unconfirmed reports of kidnapping of children in the city, saying the police have not received any information on the matter.
Upon reading the circulating posts online, the mayor said she immediately spoke with Quezon City Police District director Brig. Gen. Ronnie Montejo, who said they have not received any report about a recent kidnapping case.
“Gen. Montejo has promised to report to me after he has conducted a thorough investigation of these supposedly massive kidnappings. In the spirit of transparency, I assure you I will be the first to report to you if these alleged kidnapping cases have been validated,” Belmonte said.
She warned the public against sharing of unverified reports as it causes unnecessary panic.
“This is very irresponsible and itself a public menace,” she added.
Unconfirmed reports of kidnapping of children have recently spiked after the Pasay police said it has begun investigating the disappearance of at least nine teenagers in the recent weeks.
Police in other areas have yet to confirm if they have also received reports of alleged kidnapping of children.