Pranksters beware: Two 911 prank callers charged
Two persons who made a series of prank calls to the city’s emergency hotline Baguio 911 have been charged before the City Prosecutor’s Office last week.
Personnel of the Early Warning and Surveillance Division of the City Mayor’s Office filed cases of unjust vexation against the two individuals who made “irritating, disturbing and annoying numerous prank calls on the line intended for emergencies and contingencies.
They also face charges for violation of Presidential Decree 1727 “Declaring as Unlawful the Malicious Dissemination of False Information.”
Mayor Benjamin Magalong said more cases are expected to be filed as more prank callers are now being identified through systematic tracing and tagging.
Executive Officer V Felipe Puzon of the City Mayor’s Office who is overseeing the smart city command center where the 911 calls are being received said the city had received a total of 12,000 prank calls and 10,000 drop calls out of the total 31,880 calls received since Baguio 911 started operating in October last year.
The city earlier warned that calls made through Baguio 911 can be traced and tagged and that perpetrators are liable under applicable laws.
Persistent prank calls prompted the city to chase the perpetrators resulting in the filing of cases.
Baguio 911 helpline operates 24/7 and can be accessed through direct telephone calls or through the Baguio in my Pocket (BIMP) application at https://www.baguioinmypocket.ph.
To report an incident through BIMP, log on to https://www.baguioinmypocket.ph and press the 911 button which will prompt the submission of a picture and details of the incident.
Concerns will be received by the command center operators and dispatched to appropriate offices after validation through a phone call to the source of the information with guarantee for protection of his/her identity. The informant/complainant will also receive feedback from the command center on the status or action done on the report. – Aileen P. Refuerzo
