Bishop warns vs bogus Facebook pages

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—Alarmed at how technology is used to fool people, San Fernando Archbishop Paciano Aniceto has warned people not to fall for fake Facebook accounts that purport him to be soliciting donations or friendship.

Aniceto, 76, does not use a mobile phone, does not know how to compose text messages, rarely corresponds through e-mail and can search the web only with the aid of a trusted assistant.

“There are those who used my name not only once but twice. To set the record straight, I don’t maintain any Facebook [accounts] and I did not authorize anyone to set up one on my behalf, especially for fund raising. That is not my way and I won’t do that,” Aniceto told the Inquirer.

Aniceto has fallen victim to two fake Facebook accounts, one of which raises funds for a seminary in Pampanga.

Fr. Mario Sol Gabriel said he has taken down the account named “Apu Ceto” by following the process prescribed by the popular social networking site.

Ronaldo Tiotuico, president of graduates of Mother of Good Counsel Seminary (MGCS), said this account has drawn donations from two former seminarians.

The scam was discovered when Tiotuico asked a friend to check the details of the bank account. It was in the name of a person not known to either Aniceto or MGCS graduates, he said.

Aniceto said the Apu Ceto page first drew suspicion because the way it used the local language, Kapampangan, was wrong.

As of Sunday, the other Facebook account, “Archbishop Paciano Aniceto,” had 507 likes.

“Nobody has owned responsibility for this or claimed to be an administrator of the page,” Gabriel said.

This Facebook account features photographs of the 2012 Pentecost vigil and other church personalities and activities. Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon