Cebu City dad cries foul over fake quake Facebook post

Local

A SINGLE fake post caused real chaos.

Cebu City Councilor Edgardo Labella II is calling for an investigation after a false Facebook post about a supposed landslide in Borbon misled volunteers, clogged roads, and disrupted relief efforts for quake-hit towns in northern Cebu.

“Early Sunday morning, a post from an individual using an image of a landslide circulated online, warning volunteers to turn back due to an alleged landslide in Lugo, Borbon,” Labella said in a privilege speech before the City Council on Tuesday, Oct. 7. “Later that day, at around 3:00 p.m., the poster apologized, admitting the report was unverified.”

The misleading post, which drew over 1,800 reactions, spread quickly across social media, sowing confusion among volunteer groups delivering aid to areas devastated by the September 30 earthquake.

“Because of this, many volunteers turned back. Wala na’y gusto mu-agi sa Sogod area,” Labella said. “As a result, nagtipun-og na hinuon ang atong mga volunteers sa San Remegio, Tabuelan, and Tuburan pabalik sa Transcentral Highway. It ended up being a congested nightmare.”

Some convoys spent up to 12 hours on the road due to heavy traffic caused by rerouted and stalled vehicles.

Fact-checks by Cebu media later revealed that the photo used in the viral post was not from Borbon but from an old landslide incident in Pinamungajan. But by the time the clarification came, Labella said, “the damage had already been done.”

Labella urged the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Cybercrime Division to identify those behind the post, warning that misinformation during disasters can cost lives.

“There seems to be no fear or accountability among those who carelessly spread false information,” he said. “Anyone can post anything they hear, without verifying, because there are no real consequences aside from public shaming online.”

“Information is a great power — and with it comes great responsibility,” he added. “Those who sow confusion and fear through malicious misuse of information must be held accountable.”

The councilor’s resolution also asked the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) and the Department of Agriculture (DA-7) to assess soil conditions in northern Cebu to confirm whether any landslide risks exist in quake-hit areas such as Borbon, Sogod, and Bogo.

He also appealed to local media to remain vigilant as fact-checkers — the “first line of defense” against the spread of false information.

Local governments have likewise called out the rumor.

On October 5, the Municipality of Sogod clarified that no landslide occurred in Sitio Eme, Barangay Damolog, countering viral posts that linked the supposed incident to heavy traffic in the area.

“Palihug ayaw dayon pagtuo o pag-share og impormasyon nga dili sigurado, aron malikayan ang kahadlok ug kalibog sa publiko,” Sogod officials said.

Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro also appealed for restraint, warning that fake news derails relief operations.

“Kung daghan kaayo’g mga fake news, mao ni makagubot sa atoang relief operations sa Fourth District,” Baricuatro said in a press conference last week. “Dili ni panahon sa fake news.”

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) urged volunteers to coordinate with local disaster councils before heading north, citing ongoing aftershocks and road congestion.

The 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck on September 30 left widespread damage across Bogo, San Remigio, Medellin, and Daanbantayan — destroying homes, churches, and public buildings, and displacing hundreds of families.(TGP)