Several Pasig City officials cautioned the public on Friday, Jan. 3, about fake Facebook pages posing as them with the goal of suspending their legitimate social media accounts.
Pasig City Vice Mayor Dodot Jaworski said he, Mayor Vico Sotto, and other city councilors are the targets of online trolls and posers who are misleading residents with online content that are not authorized.
"We are asking for your help to report fake profiles na bumibili ng Facebook verified pages or profiles para i-report ang legitimate accounts para masuspend ito (We are asking for your help to report fake profiles that are buying Facebook verified pages or profiles to report legitimate accounts which may lead to its suspension)," Jaworski said.
In July 2024, Sotto said the city government detected a fake Facebook page posing as the Public Information Office (PIO) of the city.
According to the city government, the fake page currently has 100,000 followers, who appear to have non-FIlipino names or alleged troll accounts.
Sotto emphasized the importance of being aware and cautious about the information shared on social media, expressing his concern about individuals who might exploit such platforms for personal gain.
“Ang medyo kailangan pag-ingatan natin ay may mga tao talaga na handang magsinungaling. Ang handang gawin ng kahit ano para lang sa posisyon, para sa kapangyarihan (We need to be cautious because there are people who are willing to lie and do anything for position and power),” he stated.
He warned that the fake page could mislead Pasigueños, potentially spreading disinformation and fake news in the coming months.
He added that the said page contains all the updates and achievements of the city government.
“Pero ang medyo nakaka-alarma, yung mga posts po nito ay puro pabor sa atin. Puro magaganda yung sinasabi tungkol sa atin. So ibig sabihin, siguro yan yung style nila. Para isipin ng mga tao, ay ano yan, totoong page yan, o kaya page ni Vico yan, o page ni mayor yan puro pabor sa atin (But what's somewhat alarming is that all its posts are in our favor. They only say good things about us. So maybe that's their style—making people think it's a genuine page, or maybe Vico's page, or the mayor's page, all of which are in our favor),” Sotto said.
“At ina-anticipate natin na pag medyo, ano, mga few months from now pagkalipas ng ilang buwan, ay yan naman po yung i-weaponize o gagamitin para sa disinformation. Ito po yung gagamitin para magkalat ng faking balita o fake news (And we anticipate that in a few months' time, this will be weaponized or used for disinformation. This will be used to spread fake news or false information),” he added.
The mayor stressed that the city government welcomes criticism through the Ugnayan sa Pasig platform, but spreading disinformation is unacceptable.
“Bukas po tayo sa kritisismo, tayo nga yung nagtatag ng ugnayan sa pasig para marinig natin yung feedback, positibo man o negatibo. Pero ang ayaw lang natin ay yung pakeng balita at nakikita natin, mayroon mga nagmomobilize para po rito (We are open to criticism. We are the ones who established the Pasig Partnership to hear feedback, whether positive or negative. However, what we don't like is the fake news that we see being mobilized for this purpose),” he explained.