Prank gone wrong: 3 vloggers arrested over kidnap prank video
2023-Aug-13 09:49
One of the vloggers involved in the kidnapping prank apologized to the off-duty cop who believed the incident was true. PHOTO: Tukomi/YouTube
Three vloggers were apprehended in Las Piñas last August 1 after staging a kidnapping prank, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said.
Authorities arrested vloggers behind the Tukomi – Mark Heroshi San Rafael, Mark Lester San Rafael, and Eleazar Steven Fuentes – after their video went viral and sparked public outrage last April 7.
The arrest stemmed from the incident last April 6 when the three pranksters staged a scene showing three men, wearing black bonnets, kidnapping a person along the street of Barangay CAA, Las Piñas City.
Unknown to them, off-duty Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) police officer S/Sgt. Ronnie Conmingo saw the scenario, causing him to file a criminal complaint against the vloggers.
The PNP already warned other vloggers about the consequences of this far-reaching online conduct, which may face jail time of up to 12 years if a prank video is uploaded on social media platforms.
The viral video is still up and has since accumulated around 859,000 views on YouTube.
"The PNP remains steadfast in upholding the law and ensuring that individuals are held accountable for their deeds," PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said.
The suspects are scheduled for an arraignment Thursday, August 10, at the Metropolitan Trial Court (MTC) Branch 124. (Nicole Ann Teotico)