DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 28 July) — Mayor Sara Duterte on Sunday said she si not connected with PesosPh, a mobile-lending app that used her photo as promotional material on social media to attract more borrowers to avail of its services.
In a statement released by the City Information Office, the mayor, who took a two-month medical leave, likewise denied involvement in the operations of any online lending company and reminded the public to be cautious in dealing with individuals, groups, organizations, and companies that are using her name to their advantage.
She said PesosPH, which claims to provide “safe, fast and convenient loan services to underserved Filipinos,” took advantage of her photo to deceive the public that she is endorsing its services.
The company apparently used a photo of the presidential daughter that was taken right immediately after placing her bet for a whopping P835-million Ultra Lotto jackpot of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office at a Small Town Lottery outlet in Davao City on October 2, 2018.
The alleged sponsored post of the PesosPh on Facebook was no longer available as of 4 p.m.
“I am not associated with PesosPh or other online lending companies that offer the public fast cash loans with exorbitant fees and interest,” she said.
She urged them to report immediately to the police or National Bureau of Investigation similar fraudulent businesses to put a stop on their online illegal activities.
The mayor is currently on a 60-day medical leave from July 19 to September 17. Her youngest brother, Vice Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, is currently the acting mayor.
The PesosPH, a mobile app downloadable on Google Play, claims to have existed for more than 18 years, offering loan services ranging from P3,000 to P10,000 with a tenor of 61 days to 104 days and a maximum of 12% interest rate.
The app, which had at least 50,000 users as of Sunday, also claims to offer easy to apply loan grants that are available for disbursement within five minutes to 24 hours upon approval. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)