DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio warned the public against individuals who are soliciting money claiming that it will be used for her campaign for presidency.
Duterte-Carpio, in a short video message provided to the media by the Davao City Information Office on Thursday afternoon, January 28, said she had received reports that there are certain individuals who have been asking money from different groups, including those from the business sector.
The mayor, who had previously distanced herself from the calls for her to run for the presidency in 2022, said they are not given authority to solicit funds.
"Wala po itong pahintulot mula sa akin. Huwag po kayong maniwala. Huwag po kayong magbigay. Ito po ay scam o uri ng panloloko (I did not give anyone permission to do this. Do not believe them and do not give them anything. This is a scam)," she said in a video message.
"Magagamit lang ang perang malilikom sa fundraising na ito sa mga pansarilining interest ng mga taong nasa likod nito (The collected money from the fundraising will only be used by the people behind it for their own interests)," she added.
She advised the public not to entertain the fraud "campaign fundraising" and immediately report it to the police authorities.
Duterte-Carpio has been leading on various surveys from different polling bodies for the 2022 Presidential Elections.
However, the mayor had recently asked Pulse Asia and other research organizations to have her name removed from the list of any surveys on the upcoming presidential elections 2022.
"I respectfully suggest to survey organizations to remove my name from the choices... Wala ta naghunahuna karon og eleksyon (We are not thinking of the elections these days)," she said in a previous radio interview.
She emphasized that her focus remains on how to survive "the economic and humanitarian crisis still in front of us as we continue to battle the effects of Covid-19 on our people and our country."
President Rodrigo Duterte, the mayor's father, had also discouraged her from running.
"My daughter inuudyok naman nila, sabi ko (They are persuading my daughter, but I said), 'My daughter is not running.' I told Inday [Sara] not to run kasi naawa ako sa dadaanan niya na dinaanan ko (I told Inday not to run because I would feel bad if she had to go through what I am experiencing)," the President said in a televised speech on January 14. (RGL)