Swindlers pocket P300K via Panelo’s FB account

FILE: Secretary Salvador Panelo’s Press Briefing (Photo screengrabbed from PCOO)

MANILA — Presidential Spokesperson and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo on Tuesday warned the public against swindlers who use his Facebook account asking for donations for victims of Typhoon Ompong and Marawi siege.

“I’d like to warn the public. I was informed that there is an ongoing scam on my Facebook account,” Panelo said in a Palace press briefing.

“They’re using my name and asking, apparently my friends or those who know me that I’m asking for donations for ‘Ompong’ victims in the Marawi. It’s not true absolutely,” he added.

Panelo said he already asked the help of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) a month ago.

“I already referred this to the NBI as early as more than a month ago. But there is another one, PHP200,000. It was deposited in the name of a certain person,” he said.

The new presidential spokesperson said he is now thinking of removing all his Facebook accounts.

“But what they’re doing is that, they activate it and then deactivate it,” Panelo said.

“So please be informed and be cautious. Always call me anyway they know my numbers,” he added.

Last week, President Rodrigo Duterte designated Panelo to replace Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque who filed his certificate of nomination for Luntian Pilipinas party-list in the 2019 mid-term polls.