Philippine Department Of Justice Investigate TikTok Accounts For Presidential Candidate Assassination Threats

Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. in an election campaign in the Philippines. (photo: tiwtter @bongbongmarcos)

JAKARTA - The Philippine Department of Justice said a TikTok user was being investigated after posting comments on the video-sharing app. The contents of the comments allegedly threatened to kill the Philippine presidential candidate, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.

The screenshot shows a TikTok user saying, “We meet every day to plan the BBM assassination. Get ready."

The incident became known to the DOJ's Cyber Crime Division, which said the comments were being treated as a "serious threat" and asked TikTok to launch an investigation.

“We carried out a preliminary investigation on this matter and referred the same to the NBI-CCD (National Bureau of Investigation of the Cyber Crime Division) and PNP-ACG (Philippine National Police Anti-Cyber Crime Group) for further investigation. We also emailed TikTok Law Enforcement Outreach,” said Charito Zamora, officer in charge of DOJ's Cybercrime Division.

"We request data regarding the subject's stored account and await investigation by the relevant law enforcement officials," Zamora added as quoted by ABSCNB News.

Secretary of Justice Menardo Guevarra also confirmed Zamora's statement and asked the NBI to investigate the matter.

“The OOC has requested the security of the suspect's account. The DOJ, on the other hand, has directed the NBI to validate the comments. Pending verification, we are keeping other details private for security reasons," he said in a text message.

Zamora said they do not yet have information "if any specific person under investigation by our law enforcement agencies or the owner of the subject's account has been identified."

But he said they took the threat seriously, "as a matter of procedure."

“Threats of killing anyone, under the law, are considered a grave threat. So, we refer to law enforcement officers," he said.

"If the bomb joke can be acted upon, so can the death threats, whether true or not," Guevarra added.

The chief justice said they had not received similar information regarding personal threats against other candidates holding top national electability positions.

Marcos' chief of staff, Vic Rodriguez, said Bongbong would continue his campaign activities despite the threats.

“While [reports] of an assassination plot are worrying, we are not afraid of such threats. Bongbong will continue to deliver his message personally across the country with a strong determination to unite the nation," Rodriguez said.

Meanwhile, TikTok Philippines said the user's account had been permanently blocked, and would cooperate with the NBI on the matter.

"The promotion of violence has absolutely no place on our platform. User accounts have been permanently blocked and we are fully cooperating with the National Bureau of Investigation in their investigations," the social media platform said.

Earlier this week, Marcos, the son of a former Filipino dictator in the 80s, conducted several online interviews and events related to his May 9 presidential nomination.

Bongbong has topped recent surveys of a potential successor to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. However, he faces a disqualification case at the Electoral Commission for his 1995 tax evasion conviction.

In May 2020, a public school teacher was arrested for his Facebook post, in which he offered a 50 million pesos reward in exchange for the assassination of President Rodrigo Duterte.