Not a laughing matter

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor PATRICK PANGILINAN Busines Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

The circulation by a prankster of that message saying that radiation from the nuclear reactors that had exploded in Japan would find its way to the Philippines on Tuesday was a perfect example of man’s inhumanity to man.

Even if the tragedy had happened in Japan, which is quite far from the Philippines, Filipinos all over the country sympathized with the victims. Many were also worried about their family members and other kin who have relocated to Japan, particularly in the Miyagi Prefecture that had been the worst hit by, first, the 8.9 magnitude earthquake, followed by the deadly tsunami that swept houses from their foundations and carried away vehicles of all sizes, as well as sea craft from the shores.

The woes of the people were compounded when two of their nuclear reactors exploded. Even if assurances were made that such facilities would automatically stop on their own in case of such movements as those caused by quakes, fears were expressed that some radioactive rays could still escape and affect people within a certain area.

But somebody, or some groups, with a very distorted sense of humor, sent off messages through cellphones, falsely quoting the prestigious television network, British Broadcasting Corporation, or BBC, that radiation from the reactors that had exploded or had burst into fire, would reach the Philippines soon, and even gave a specific time: 4 p.m. of that day!

Naturally, that sent people into panic, and some even rushed to drug stores to buy the medicine, Betadine, which the messages also suggested would be helpful. Fortunately, officials of the Department of Science and Technology were quick to deny the report and indicated that no signs had been monitored that could show their veracity. Meanwhile, an official of a university in Manila even fell for the hoax and sent all its students and teaching staff home.

This is not an ordinary practical joke that we could laugh over. This time the government should order the appropriate agencies to find out the source of this canard and prosecute them. Surely this can be done through the company through which the messages were sent, and then prosecute the culprits, if only to deter others of similar thinking later.*