DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio warned that she will not hesitate to pursue legal measures against her supporters who will use her name for their personal transactions.
Duterte-Carpio issued a statement on Saturday, August 7, 2021, after a video circulated on social media showing a group at the Francisco Bangoy International Airport (Davao International Airport) talking about a meeting with the mayor and the use of an airplane to bring in campaign materials.
"The public is advised that I have never told anyone that I am running for President and I have not conducted any meeting about the use of a plane for my campaign materials," the mayor said in a statement forwarded to the media by the Davao City Information Office.
She added she did not know the persons in the video -- a certain Gino, Bong Acquia, and Joseph Ponce of the Ituloy Ang Pagbabago Movement (IPM) 2022.
“I am not a member of and not privy to IPM activities,” Duterte-Carpio said.
In the video, Ponce, allegedly the IPM secretary general, showed the aircraft that he said will transport the campaign materials of Duterte when she runs for President in the 2022 elections.
"I sternly warn supporters about using my name in their personal transactions," she said.
The mayor said she "already successfully pursued a case for name-dropping and recently supported a case against an organized crime group of money scammers" who used her in their fraudulent activities.
"I do not tolerate these activities and I do not hesitate to pursue legal action against those who besmirched my reputation even if they are supporters," Duterte-Carpio said.
On August 4, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) presented a group of scammers using the name of Duterte-Carpio and other city officials in their illegal activities.
The respondents were identified members of the Cerbito-Hernandez Organized Group. Four of the six suspects who surrendered were identified as Patrick Orinio Cerbito, Ramon Segundo, Antonio Cerbito, and Antonio Segundo.
NCRPO said in a report that the group was allegedly behind the illegal solicitation of campaign funds for the candidacy of the presidential daughter in 2022.
NCRPO Director Vicente Danao said the six are part of a group of 19 scammers who introduce themselves as municipal government officials.
The six surrenderers are likely to turn witnesses, while the 13 others in the group will face charges of syndicated estafa.
Danao said the scammers dropped the name of Davao City Assistant City Administrator Tristan Dwight Domingo in soliciting campaign and logistical funds for Duterte-Carpio in exchange for various forms of assistance.
Meanwhile, Ponce, on the same day, issued a public apology to Duterte-Carpio and IPM national chair, Davao Occidental Governor Claude Bautista, for the video.
"Sa Kaalaman ng Publiko, Ako po ang Secretary General ng IPM 2022 Joseph Ponce, ay lubos na Humingi ng Paumanhin sa Lahat ng Miyembro ng IPM 2022 sampo ng mga supporters ni Inday Sara sa aking ginawang personal video hinggil sa pagsuporta ng isang Air Shipping Company sa Gawain ng IPM 2022. Lubos po akong nagalak sa suporta na binigay na may ari ng Airline na ito, na aking kaibigan na naging dahilan para makapagbigay ako ng mensahe na magkakaroon ng magkakaibang pananaw," he said in a statement posted on the IPM Facebook page.
(For the information of the public, I, the Secretary-General of IPM 2022 Joseph Ponce, sincerely apologize to all members of IPM 2022 and the supporters of Inday Sara about the personal video I made regarding the support of an air shipping company on the thrust of IPM 2022. I am very happy with the support provided by the owner of this airline, who is my friend, and enabled me to give a message that will have a different perspective.)
Ponce also clarified that the mayor has not decided on her presidential bid, contrary to what he said in the video.
“Patuloy parin ang aming hangarin na ikonsidera ng ating butihin Mayor Inday Sara Duterte na tanggapin ang ninanais ng Bayan. Kami sa IPM 2022 ay wala parin pong tiyak na kasagutan kung siya ay Hahabol sa Pagka-Presidente sa 2022,” the IPM official said.
(We still continuously hope that the good Mayor Inday Sara Duterte will accept the will of the nation. We at IPM 2022 still do not have a definite answer as to whether she will run for the presidency in 2022.)
Duterte-Carpio had previously warned the public against individuals soliciting money for her supposed candidacy for the 2022 elections.
"Please be warned that there is no fundraising activity or campaign money solicitation for my benefit. All these activities are unauthorized and without my permission," Duterte-Carpio said in a statement issued by the Davao City Information Office on July 7, 2021.
The mayor specifically warned against individuals conducting solicitation and fundraising activities.
These included "government employees or private individuals asking contractors or businessmen to give money as contributions, individuals claiming to be in charge of fund-raising and requesting money from contractors or businessmen to be given through them, [and] individuals pretending to be employees of the City Government of Davao calling contractors and businessmen for money contributions."