Ni: Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos

Mahigit 60 social media accounts, na nadiskubreng sumusuporta at namamahala sa terorismo sa Marawi City, ang ipinasara, kinumpirma kahapon ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Gayunman, sinabi ni AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, sa Mindanao Hour press briefing sa Malacañang, kasalukuyan nilang inaantabayanan ang nasa 300 social media accounts, nadagdagan ng 220 ang dating 80 account na iniulat nila noong nakaraang buwan.

“Sa huling talaan, if I remember the figures right, there are about 54 or 64 sites that have been taken down, about that much,” pahayag ni Padilla nitong Biyernes ngs umaga.

“There are about 300 that are still being monitored as of now because previously we were monitoring less than 100,” dagdag niya.

Ayon kay Padilla, ang proseso ng pagpapasara sa mga nasabing social media ay may tulong mula sa social media companies.

Sinabi niya na kamakailan ay humingi sila ng tulong sa Philippine National Police (PNP) Cybercrime Division upang mapaigting ang kanilang kampanya laban sa terrorism propaganda sa online.

“Kahapon, kami’y nakipag-ugnayan sa mga miyembro ng PNP Cybercrime Group upang paigtingin ang ginagawa nating effort.

And we’re coming up with appropriate measures to expedite that process,” sambit ni Padilla.

“In the process of monitoring and taking down of social media accounts that are proven to be supportive of terroristic activities, we need to work with the social media companies. And we are working with them because we have direct contact with their regional offices. They have been very helpful,” dagdag niya.

Ayon sa Army official, sa oras na mapatunayan na ang isang social media account ay sumusuporta sa aktibidad ng terorismo, agad itong isinasara ng social media company.

Gayunman, sinabi ni Padilla na hindi pa rin sila sigurado kung ang mga may-ari ng 300 social media ay Pilipino o kaya naman ay nasa Pilipinas.

“We can’t be sure yet because some of these sites can be out of the country. Most of the sites could be in the Philippines. And that is the effort we are currently working on--to locate [them],” aniya.