NBI directed to go after fake news purveyors amid nCoV threat

He also asked NBI to coordinate with the Department of Health (DOH) and to assist in contact tracing of affected individuals. (File Photo By mark pedron (Wikipedia Takes Manila participant)/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

MANILA — Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Tuesday directed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to look into the alleged dissemination of fake news about the novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD).

Guevarra issued the directive through a department order, granting the NBI under Director Dante Gierran the authority to conduct investigation and case build-up on the alleged “deliberate” spread of misinformation and false reporting of the coronavirus.

“And, if evidence warrants, to file the appropriate charges against persons found responsible therefor,” Guevarra said in his department order.

He also asked NBI to coordinate with the Department of Health (DOH) and to assist in contact tracing of affected individuals.

Justice Undersecretary and spokesman Markk Perete said charges to be filed against the alleged fake news purveyors will depend on the evidence to be gathered during the investigation process.

“All leads will have to be considered, including those presented at the Senate,” Perete said.

The Senate committee on health and demography, chaired by Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go on Tuesday conducted hearing on the government’s response to a health emergency.

The DOH has confirmed two cases of nCoV in the country, a 38-year old woman from Wuhan in Hubei province, China and her companion, a 44-year-old man.

DOH said the male patient was the first reported death due to the deadly virus outside of China.

China’s National Health Commission (NHC) on Tuesday reported that the death toll in China from the nCoV outbreak climbed to 425.

In a statement, the commission said it has so far received a total of 20,438 confirmed cases, adding a total of 64 people died over the last 24 hours.

More than 171,000 people are under medical observation, while the number of people discharged reached 632.