Fabricated Facebook content falsely portraying NBI Director Melvin Matibag as having disparaged the Iglesia ni Cristo prompted a denial from the bureau yesterday, along with a warning that legal consequences await those behind the material.
The agency traced the controversy to online posts it described as manufactured, saying the anti-INC statements pinned on Matibag were never made. It characterized the circulating content as a deliberate disinformation effort aimed at fracturing public unity and destabilizing the government.
In defending its director, the NBI stated that Matibag has kept a consistent posture of respect toward the INC community, pointing to his record of professionalism, integrity and support for interfaith harmony.
The bureau called on citizens to verify claims before passing them along and to depend solely on official releases and authenticated government sources.
The NBI said it intends to pursue every legal avenue available against the individuals who produced and circulated the false posts.
