By ExplainED PH - Aklan
To clear his name, the person of interest who was linked to the TikTok post on the alleged assassination plot against late dictator's son Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has agreed to submit to a polygraph examination by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
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Photo By Philippine News Agency |
After surrendering his mobile phone to the NBI on Feb. 9, social media user Ruel “Bong” Ricafort agreed to undergo such a procedure, as one of the conditions imposed by NBI Deputy Director for Forensic Investigation Service Ferdinand Lavin, although Ricafort has yet to be scheduled according to NBI Cybercrime Division (NBI-CCD) Chief Victor V. Lorenzo.
Ricafort claims that he does not own the account on the video platform Tiktok, instead according to him, it was accessed without his knowledge in which Ricafort’s Facebook profile photo was used by the said fake account to make the threat.
As stated by Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, on Feb. 9, the government examines both all old and new threats against public officials, which includes candidates for public office, as soon as they are received.
Guevarra mentioned that the Department of Justice Office of Cybercrime and NBI may also pursue those who threaten to rape or kill state officials.
The Justice Secretary also stated that even if it is improbable, a death threat is illegal whether one believes it or not.
Meanwhile, Ricafort expressed that he wants to file charges against those who fraudulently used his name on Tiktok and posted last month that read: "We are meeting everyday to plan for BBM’s assassination. Get ready.”