A Filipino blogger has been arrested and accused of inciting sedition over a Facebook post authorities described as making a veiled death threat against the president.
In the October 3 post, video blogger Michael “Mike” Romero shared a picture of President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr standing with other officials outside the earthquake-ravaged city hall in Bogo, in the central Philippines.
The photo was overlaid with a red arrow pointing at Marcos’ head with the single-word caption reading “headshot”, the National Bureau of Investigation said on Wednesday.
“To shooters and law enforcement agencies, when you say ‘headshot’ it means you would be shot in the head,” bureau director Jaime Santiago told reporters at a press conference, during which the suspect was made to stand behind him in handcuffs.
“When he expressed that thought, we took it seriously,” Santiago added.
The bureau will file a criminal complaint accusing Romero of inciting sedition and making a grave threat, offences punishable by at least six years in prison.
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