PNP probes messaging site with links to US mass shooting
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Tue, 06 Aug 2019 11:19:16 +0000
PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde ordered on Tuesday the investigation into an online message board, 8chan, which has been linked to the recent mass shooting in the US.
The Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) of the PNP has been assigned to investigate the 8chan website allegedly owned by one James Watkins, who is currently living in the Philippines and continues to run the site.
“I got that information also tinext sa akin(it was texted to me). I ask ACG to verify it, [to] monitor yung site na yun, [I got the information, also texted to me. I ask ACG to verify it, monitor the site],” Albayalde said in a press briefing.
8chan is said to be breeding potential mass shooters, Fredrick Brennan, a founder of the site, revealed in a New York Times article posted on Sunday.
The shooter in El Paso identified as Patrick Crusius, 21, had posted a four-page message on the site revealing his plan against what he so-called the “Hispanic invasion.”
“Depende kung ano makikita natin kung ano ang koneksyon kung ano ang madig narin dun makita dun lalo na kung local yan dito sa atin we have to conduct verification and intelligence buildup, [It depends on what we will see, what the connection is, what we will dig up there, see there, especially if that’s local here, we have to conduct verification and intelligence buildup]” the PNP chief said.
Web services company Voxility has banned the site.
Albayalde believes that the mass shooting will not happen in the country because of the strict firearms law and the neuropsychiatric test and background investigation people who wanted to carry firearms should undergo. DARWIN PESCO