ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider VP Duterte warns public anew against fake social media accounts using her name, family photos

VP Duterte warns public anew against fake social media accounts using her name, family photos

Published Apr 21, 2026 05:41 pm
Vice President Sara Duterte warns Filipinos about fake social media accounts using her name and family photos, stressing that her family never asks for money amid a surge in online scams in the Philippines. (Manila Bulletin/file photo)
Vice President Sara Duterte warns Filipinos about fake social media accounts using her name and family photos, stressing that her family never asks for money amid a surge in online scams in the Philippines. (Manila Bulletin/file photo)
Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday, April 21, warned the public about the growing number of fake social media accounts impersonating her and members of her family, cautioning Filipinos against falling for scams.
In an advisory posted on her official Facebook page, Duterte said these fraudulent accounts continue to proliferate online, using her identity and personal photos without authorization to deceive unsuspecting individuals for financial gain and other illicit activities.
Duterte issues a fresh warning against fake social media accounts using her name and family photos, reminding Filipinos to stay vigilant amid rising online scams. (Inday Sara Duterte / Facebook)
Duterte issues a fresh warning against fake social media accounts using her name and family photos, reminding Filipinos to stay vigilant amid rising online scams. (Inday Sara Duterte / Facebook)
“Tulad ng mga nagdaan nating babala, patuloy ang pagdami ng mga social media accounts na ginagamit ang aking pangalan at mga litrato, maging ng aking pamilya, para sa kanilang sariling interes at mga hindi magandang gawain (As with our previous warnings, the number of social media accounts using my name and photos, including those of my family, for their own interests and malicious activities, continues to grow),” Duterte said.
Fake accounts exploit public trust
Duterte emphasized that neither she nor her family members solicit money, favors, or any form of financial assistance from the public—whether online or offline.
“Ang aming pamilya ay hinding-hindi humihingi ng pabor, lalo na sa usaping pinansyal, sa publiko (Our family will never ask the public for favors, especially financial ones),” Duterte said.
The warning comes amid a surge in online impersonation scams in the Philippines, where fraudsters exploit the names of public officials and celebrities to gain credibility and lure victims.
Public urged: Stay vigilant vs online scams
The Vice President urged Filipinos to remain vigilant, verify sources, and avoid engaging with suspicious accounts claiming to represent her or her office.
Duterte cautions the public against impersonation scams, stressing that neither she nor her family asks for money as fraudsters exploit social media in the Philippines. (Inday Sara Duterte / Facebook)
Duterte cautions the public against impersonation scams, stressing that neither she nor her family asks for money as fraudsters exploit social media in the Philippines. (Inday Sara Duterte / Facebook)
Cybersecurity experts have repeatedly flagged impersonation scams as one of the most common online fraud tactics, often involving requests for money, donations, or personal information.
Duterte’s office has yet to release specific details on legal actions against the perpetrators, but authorities have been intensifying efforts to track and shut down fake accounts across major platforms.
Growing concern over digital fraud in the Philippines
“Huwag magpaloko sa mga scammer (Do not be deceived by scammers),” Duterte said.
The warning underscores a broader issue: rising digital fraud cases in the country, particularly on social media platforms, where identity verification remains a challenge.
Government agencies and law enforcement units continue to remind the public to report suspicious accounts and avoid sharing sensitive information online.
RELATED STORY: 
https://mb.com.ph/2026/04/20/huwag-magpaloko-vp-sara-warns-public-vs-messaging-app-impostor-urges-vigilance-against-scammers

Related Tags

Sara Duterte Sara Duterte fake accounts Duterte scam warning Philippines online scams 2026 Vice President Duterte impersonation fake social media Philippines scam alert Duterte
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.