To combat fake news on the Bataan oil spill, the inter-agency task force will conduct weekly inspection and briefing to inform the public on the actual areas affected.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos made this announcement last Saturday, shortly after conducting an aerial inspection to determine the extent of the damage.
“Kaya namin ginagawa ito kasi ayaw naming magpanic ang mga tao, ” Abalos said.
“Anything na there’s tsismis, na there is misinformation, doon magkakaroon ng haka-haka. Doon magkakaroon ng panic at alarm,” Abalos added.
“Ito yung ipinangako namin sa inyo, na tayo’y lilibot para makita ninyo ang actual [situation]. Ano yung nangyayari on the ground. Yung gusto naming ipakita na handa ang national government dito sa lahat ng aspeto,” he explained.
In a related development, Abalos expressed support to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) investigation on the “pa-ihi” system hoping it will expose all involved parties.
“Dapat imbestigahan ito at yung mga may kasalanan naman, ay talagang dapat idemanda,” Abalos said.
The “pa-ihi” system is a scheme used by smugglers to evade paying taxes by transferring their oil products to smaller shipping vessels before conducting actual delivery.
Original Article At: https://www.dilg.gov.ph/news/Abalos-cautions-public-vs-misinformation-on-Bataan-oil-spill/NC-2024-1109