Cooperative Learning:

Case Study

Suspek sa Pagpatay sa Isang Siklista,

Binigyan ng MPD ng hanggang 5 p.m, para sumuko

Introduction:

Mr. Von Tanto, a 39-year-old army reservist who was accused of murdering Mark

Joseph Geralde, a cyclist on Pikasal Street, Quiapo Manila has been issued a warning

by the Manila Police District until 5 p.m. of the afternoon that same day because he had

already escaped the premises. The eyewitness identified the culprit, who is from

Cotabato City and was a resident of the area where the incident happened. The suspect

was already well-known in their barangay due to his history of illegal parking; the name

and the plate number of the suspect were already disseminated on social media. This

lead to false accusations for Mr. Nestor Punzalan because the conduction plate number
that circulated on the internet and was first identified by the witness is MO3746, which

happened to be Mr. Punzalan’s plate number. However, the eyewitness made a mistake

and the real plate number of the suspect is MO3745. The Punzalan family was willing to

file a lawsuit against whoever was responsible for their reputation being negatively

affected but Mr. Vernon B. Sharne, the editor of Top Gear Philippines which is the

source of misinformation, took full responsibility and sincerely apologized for what

happened.

Questions:

1. How was Mr. Nestor Punzalan affected by being wrongfully accused in social

media as the suspect in the said shooting incident?

 Social Media allow us to exchange information but it does not permit us to

share all the information we have come across. While social media can be

beneficial, some of the information it provides can also be harmful to us,

as an individual. Mr. Nestor Punzalan was wrongfully accused in a

shooting incident. He was scared after receiving death threats and

also affected his own family; they said that the netizens and specifically

the Top Gear Philippines that published Mr. Punzalan picture and plate

number of his car online had robbed them their morals and dignity. The

misinformed news has harmed their reputation as a family, solely because

of the false accusation that has been posted and spread on the internet.

2. What is the liability of Top Gear, other media outlets and netizens who wrongfully

accused Mr. Nestor Punzalan as the suspect in the said shooting incident?

 The incident has damaged their family's reputation, dignity, and morale. Top

Gear, particularly the piece's author, as well as other media outlets, should be

held accountable. They need to be outlawed or punished in some way. Apart

from that, they should help Mr. Punzalan and his family clear their identities

and pay the indemnity. Mr. Nestor Punzalan and his family, as the falsely

accused, might take legal action against the Top Gear, netizens, and other

media outlets for false charges such as libel and slander, which are referred

to as defamation suits. Libel happens when a false charge is published in

writing, such as in a magazine, newspaper, or on the internet, whereas

slander occurs when the false accusation is published orally, such as in a

speech, a casual chat between two people, or over the radio.

3. What role was played by the citizen journalism and social media in this incident?
  Citizen Journalism is a spreading information or story that is not a

professional publicists or journalists. People that shares information on any

websites specifically on social media like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

are an example of citizen journalists. The role that citizen journalism as well

as social media did in the incident of Mr. Nestor Punzalan was to accused

him to be the suspect on the shooting incident without verifying for a concrete

evidences and for the truth behind the occurrence. It mislead the case

because they released information without searching for an accurate and

credible sources, the false allegation was published online and the netizens

quickly react, they share the information without looking for a reliable sources

and information – they falsely accused an innocent person and spread it

online that became the source of wrong information that leads to something

prejudices.

4. What positive and negative effects of media and information on individual and

society were evident in this incident?

 One of the benefits of media is that it disseminates information more quickly

and widely. It is good in the sense that if essential news is released, many

people will be able to view it fast. However, the positive turn negative if the

said "news" content is not absolute and has holes. For instance, in the case

of Mr. Nestor Punzalan, he suffered from "fake accusations" due to false

posted Mr. Nestor Punzalan as a primary suspect of the crime. They made

articles and released them to the public that made Punzalan subjected to the

said shooting accident. After the false charge, Mr. Nestor Punzalan was

disturbed, for he had received threats to his life. It was not easy for him

because he was a suspect, and his name was tainted in terms of his

identification. The issue had an impact on his family as well. They were also

embarrassed, and their human dignity was shattered as a consequence. The

incident demonstrated the positive and negative effects of media and

information on individuals and society. First, it was great to become an active

media user and assist in solving cases. Still, we must be willing to take

responsibility for what we share and ensure that it is correct and supported by

facts and pieces of evidence. People reacted so quickly since they already

knew who was to blame and could immediately spread the story only to tell

the public about the occurrence. Alternatively, the negative repercussions

include that netizens continue to trust the story despite the lack of concrete

proof against the individual being blamed, and some of those who shared it

did so without hesitation. We may readily distribute news with the aid of the

media, but we cannot guarantee that it is justified.

5. How can we prevent this kind of incident by Mr. Punzalan from happening in the

future?
  Mr. Nestor Punzalan’s case is an example of misinformation. To avoid

incidents like this, I think we should constantly be cautious about what we

share on social media these days. The best way to avoid situations like this is

to make sure that the news we read or listen is from a reliable sources that’s

why we need to always check and verify the sources of the information before

sharing it online. People who share misleading information on social media

sites should be blocked and reported. Make sure that the information we are

sharing isn’t damaging someone and supported by facts and proper

evidences. So, be cautious about what you post on your social media and

double check your sources before hitting the ‘send’ or ‘share’ button.

6. What is the important lesson can we learn from this event as social media user?

 The experienced of Mr. Nestor Punzalan should be a lesson to each and

every one of us. Everything can change just by using our fingertips. We can

share our thoughts and opinions, and even communicate with someone

across the world. It is the power of social media. “Think before you click” – a

quote that everyone should apply to him/herself. Having the power in social

media, we should also be knowledgeable and responsible for it. We should be

mindful of what we post or share online. One main reason of why people are

glued to their phones is to be updated. Unfortunately, one mistake can

change everything. Whatever you post online will leave a mark for a long

time. Social media is now a part of our lives. So, we should learn how to be

responsible users.
Conclusions:

 In conclusion, the media plays an important role in the dissemination of

information, it truly aids us in becoming more aware of many concerns and

topics that is happening in our society. Utilizing technology and mass media

enables people to stay informed, cooperate in new ways, and keep in touch

with friends and family. However, the information that circulates on the

internet is not always reliable and might be sometimes misleading, therefore

we must first be a media and information literate.

 First, we must be able to evaluate and analyze information we find on the

internet, determine whether the sources are reliable or not, verify to see

whether the information is backed up by facts and has sufficient evidence.

And use media with discipline and restriction.

 Second, we must be cautious about the stuff we share especially that

nowadays we use social media on our daily basis. As a result, we must learn

to be a responsible users because social media can be a beneficial tool, it

only depends on how you manage and used it on your daily life.

 Third, always think before you click because not all the information you see

online is accurate and true so learn to be responsible and aware on how to

spot misleading and misinformed news.

implications just like false accusations posted on social media have the

potential to harm others. This story tell us how citizen journalism and social

media affects the people views and opinions because despite the lack of

actual evidence against the man being blamed, netizens continue to believe

the allegation, that’s why as an individual we must first assess the post before

sharing/posting it, and we must double check all the things we are posting

online, always verify our sources because on this platform we can easily

disseminate information through the media, but we cannot guarantee that it is

accurate.