By CESAR JOLITO III

The Bacolod City government launched a formal probe into the online spread of false flood reports, stepping up efforts to combat misinformation that officials say caused unnecessary alarm among residents.

City authorities confirmed that the City Legal Office (CLO), in coordination with the Bacolod City Police Office Cybercrime Unit, is now tracing the sources of social media posts that falsely claimed flooding in parts of the city earlier this month.

On February 6, several posts circulated online alleging that heavy rains had submerged areas in Barangay Mandalagan and Singcang-Airport.

Local disaster and monitoring teams, however, verified that while moderate rainfall was recorded across Bacolod that day, no flooding occurred in the areas cited.

CLO spokesperson Atty. Vanessa Encabo said the misleading posts triggered public anxiety and diverted attention from legitimate disaster preparedness efforts.

She stressed that while vigilance during the rainy season is encouraged, sharing unverified information can disrupt communities and strain government response systems.

The investigation was ordered by Greg Gasataya, who directed the CLO to take appropriate legal action against individuals found responsible for spreading false information online.

Encabo said the CLO will serve as the complainant should charges be filed, in line with existing laws on cybercrime and the dissemination of fake news./CJ, WDJ