Sara, Paolo Duterte decry scams using their names

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte (Malacañang pool photo)

DAVAO CITY — Mayor Sara Duterte warned the public on Tuesday about a man who has identified himself as a lawyer and has been spreading the lie that she has taken charge of a project to buy 100 hectares of land for a drug rehabilitation center in Palawan.

“I was informed by a friend that a certain Attorney Regidor Tulali in Palawan is making representations that I am in charge of a project to buy 100 hectares for a drug rehabilitation facility in Palawan,” Duterte said in a statement.

She said the whole story was a lie for a potential scam “by certain individuals or a group using my name because I have never met a person in the name of Regidor Tulali nor am I involved in the purchase of land in Palawan.”

“I appeal to the public to be always wary about treacherous individuals or groups who are out to make money by deceiving others using my name,” Duterte said.

Earlier, her brother and Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte also raised the red flag on a modus operandi targeting establishments here.

In a statement last week, Paolo said some unidentified scammers had booked flights to Hong Kong in his name or that of his office and asked P4,000 worth of cellphone loads from the particular travel agency.

Several travel agencies also reported encountering such scams.

“A convenience store also claimed to have received a similar phone call and gave thousands of pesos worth of mobile phone load to a person, who also identified himself as Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte,” Paolo said.

“I denounce this and I am asking the public to immediately get in touch with the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) if someone tries to transact business with them using my name and my office,” he said.

Paolo asked establishments that got similar calls or encounter  the same modus operandi to call his office for verification at 222-0855 local 428 or report the matter to the city police.  SFM/rga