CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — City Councilor Yevonna Yacine Emano has urged fellow lawmakers to exercise responsibility and caution in issuing public statements, reminding them that as elected officials, their words carry significant weight and influence.
During the City Council session on February 23, Emano made the appeal following a privileged speech delivered by Councilor Enrico Salcedo, who raised concerns about a Facebook page named “Brgy. Outpost” that he claimed was spreading false information about him.
Salcedo denied circulating online claims that he was pushing for a ban on vehicles owned by non-residents of Cagayan de Oro City.
“Wala ko sukad miingon nga i-ban ang sakyanan nga dili residente sa Cagayan de Oro,” Salcedo said, stressing that he never made such a proposal.
He described the alleged fake posts as damaging to his reputation and urged the public to remain vigilant and avoid engaging with unverified social media pages.
While expressing support for Salcedo’s call to combat misinformation, Emano also reminded council members to be mindful of their own statements when addressing the public.
She cited Salcedo’s earlier remark advising “trolls” to jump off the Carmen Bridge — a comment that drew attention on social media — as an example of how statements can be misinterpreted or taken out of context.
“We cannot control others, but we can always respond to it. As public figures, as honorables, may I just hope nga wala lang untay statement susama sa muambak sa tulay sa Carmen. That is really something that we are trying to avoid,” Emano said.
Emano noted that misinformation affects all council members at some point, but emphasized the need for restraint and responsible communication, especially in an era where statements can quickly go viral online.
In response, Salcedo clarified that his earlier comment was not intended to encourage self-harm, but rather to suggest that critics should “cool their heads.”
“Dili pasabot ato nga muambak sila kay maghikog, kundili, muambak, mulangoy aron mabugnawan ilang utok,” Salcedo explained.
The exchange underscored ongoing concerns over misinformation on social media and the responsibility of public officials to communicate carefully in the digital age.
