Philippines orders law enforcers to probe online 'assassination' threat against Marcos Jr

FILE PHOTO: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the son of late Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos, delivers a message after filing his certificate of candidacy for president in the 2022 national election, in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines, October 6, 2021. Rouelle Umali/Pool via Reuters/File Photo

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines' justice ministry has ordered law enforcers to investigate a post on the social media platform TikTok threatening to assassinate presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr., acting on a tip received by its cybercrime unit.

"If a bomb joke is actionable, so is a threat of assassination, whether true or not," Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo Guevarra told reporters.