Vice President Sara Duterte warned the public after individuals impersonated her on the messaging platform Signal and sent messages under her name.
In an advisory posted on her Facebook account and that of the Office of the Vice President, Duterte cautioned against suspicious messages from accounts claiming to be her. The OVP also released screenshots of an exchange involving a user identified as “Inday Duterte.”
The messages showed the impersonator requesting a contact linked to “Congressman Alvarez” and asking how many lawmakers were willing to support her. The exchange also mentioned that she and a certain “Astrah” would provide updates.
“I am warning the public as unscrupulous individuals are impersonating me on the messaging platform Signal,” Duterte said.
She urged recipients to disengage immediately. “Do not engage, give out any personal information, and, most importantly, do not send money. I never ask for any favors, financial or otherwise, from the public,” she said.
Duterte also reminded the public to remain cautious of individuals who are “exploitative, deceptive, and out to take advantage of others,” particularly amid challenges linked to the ongoing crisis stemming from tensions in the Middle East.
The OVP noted that similar incidents have occurred in the past. In 2023, Duterte warned of individuals falsely claiming links to the Bureau of Customs and other government agencies to solicit contributions using her name for campaign-related activities.
“This is a scam; I never ordered anyone to solicit money for politics or for any other purpose or project,” she said.
The OVP also cautioned against social media promotions falsely claiming that individuals would receive ₱10,000 and groceries using Duterte’s name or office.
