TikTok user allegedly behind Marcos assassination plot denies posting threat
THE OWNER of the TikTok social media account where a supposed assassination plot against presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. (BBM) was posted has denied uploading the video.
The account user voluntarily went to the National Bureau of
Investigation (NBI) office on Tuesday to deny the allegations and said his identity was illegally used to make the suspicious post, according to Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra.
“The owner of the BBM death threat account voluntarily turned himself into the NBI yesterday. He was advised to secure the assistance of counsel,” Mr. Guevarra said in a Viber message on Wednesday.
The NBI is still evaluating the severity of the threat, he added.
“As of the moment, the man is only considered a person of interest, our investigation is still ongoing, he is not an accused yet,” NBI Deputy Director Ferdinand M. Lavin said in a press conference on Wednesday.
The Justice Department directed the NBI in late January to validate the anonymous tip on the alleged assassination plot.
Mr. Guevarra said on Jan. 30 that NBI will prioritize any validated information on threats to the security of any presidential candidate.
“The DoJ (Department of Justice) should investigate not just to protect the possible victim but it is also a way how government wanting the citizens, in general, to be responsible and accountable in the exercise of their freedom of expression amidst a politically critical period,” Marlon M. Villarin, a political science professor from the University of Santo Tomas, earlier said via Viber. — John Victor D. Ordoñez
