The Philippine National Police (PNP) issued an apology for presenting allegedly recycled photos depicting the aftermath of the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck Davao Oriental on Friday, October 10.
Earlier that day, during a press briefing held at Camp Crame in Quezon City, the PNP shared updates on the earthquake response efforts of the Davao Police Regional Office (PRO-11) and the Caraga Police Regional Office (PRO-13).
Included in the presentation were images purportedly showing the impact of the quake—photos that were later circulated by members of the media.
However, netizens quickly pointed out that some of the photos appeared to be recycled. One photo showed it was an aftermath of an earthquake in Tubigon, Bohol while another appeared to be taken in New Castle Country, Delaware in the United States.
Sought for a clarification, PNP spokesperson Police Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño said upon verification and validation, it was determined that the said photos “did not originate from Davao Oriental nor from any of the affected areas.”
He said further inquiry revealed that the images were taken from a website and therefore do not accurately reflect the current situation on the ground.
“The PNP sincerely apologizes for this inadvertent error and any confusion or concern it may have caused. The misleading photos have already been removed from all official PNP platforms, and corrective measures are being implemented to ensure that all future releases undergo strict validation before publication,” Tuaño said.
He said the PNP will be initiating appropriate legal action against the individual responsible for providing and circulating false or misleading information that resulted in the unverified release.
“The PNP assures the public that it continues to work closely with the NDRRMC and local authorities to verify ground situations and provide accurate and timely updates regarding the aftermath of the earthquake,” he added.
The PNP urged everyone to refrain from sharing unverified content and to rely only on official government sources for updates and advisories.
Meanwhile, the PNP previously announced that its police forces in Davao Region and Caraga were already placed on full alert for earthquake-related response operations. (Martin Sadongdong)
