It’s a scam: No P1,500 cash aid from Pacquiao, celebrities

There’s no truth that Sen. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao and other personalities will be giving P1,500 in cash assistance per person through money courier Palawan Express Pera Padala or to its cardholders.

Palawan Express, owned by the Palawan Pawnshop Services group of companies, issued the warning April 13 amid nonstop trending social media posts that the purported financial aid could be availed through its “Suki” card.

In late March, actress Angel Locsin denounced an imposter social media account announcing she would be distributing P1,500 each to 150 persons through Palawan Express.

"This is not me. Mag-ingat kayo (Be careful)," she tweeted.

Pacquiao and Locsin are big donors to the fight against COVID-19.

In an April 13 post on its official Facebook page, Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala debunked the viral fake news:

Mga Suki! Ang mga trending posts tungkol sa ayuda o cash assistance mula sa mga kilalang personalidad sa pamamagitan ng aming Suki Card ay HINDI TOTOO! Mag-ingat sa mga SCAMMERS at FAKE NEWS! #iPalawanMoNa#HappyToServeYou

Patrons! Trending posts about aid or cash assistance from known personalities through our Suki Card are NOT TRUE! Beware of SCAMMERS and FAKE NEWS!

One of its representatives answered questions from Facebook users about Pacquiao’s and other supposed donations:

Ang Palawan Pawnshop - Palawan Express Pera Padala ay nagbibigay ng serbisyong pinansyal tulad ng sanglaan at pera padala. Nais po namin ipaalam na wala tayong programa na nagbibigay ng tulong pinansyal sa mga suki card holder, nag avail ng ProtekTODO Insurance, at iba pa. Huwag po basta basta maniwala sa mga posts na hindi galing sa ating official social media channels (Palawan Pawnshop - Palawan Express Pera Padala provides financial services such as pawnshops and money transfers. We would like to inform you that we do not have a program that provides financial assistance to Suki Card holders, those who availed of ProtectTODO Insurance, and others. Don't just believe posts that are not from our official social media channels).

However, the false posts persist. For example, an April 16 Facebook post that has gathered 1,500 likes and comments and more than 5,000 shares reads:

SHARE THE GOOD NEWS!!! THIS IS NOT FAKE NEWS THERE, WE ARE JUST ASKING ABOUT THE STAFF OF PALAWAN!!! YES, MANNY WILL GIVE 1500 TO ALL PALAWAN'S CARD!!! LET'S JUST WAIT FOR THE NO. WE HAVE THE CONFIRMATION THAT WE CAN CLAIM NOW!!! WHETHER TRUE OR NOT THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!!! YOU ARE REALLY DIFFERENT SENATOR Manny Pacquiao. YEHEYY

The post emphasized the cash aid was “not fake news,” but said at the same time, “Whether true or not…”

Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala started in Puerto Princesa City in 1985 and now has about 3,000 branches nationwide.

Pacquiao’s mother Dionisia, popularly known as “Mommy D,” became a Palawan Express endorser in 2014.

References

Locsin, Angel. [143redangle]. (2020, March 30). This is not me. Mag-ingat po [Tweet]. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/143redangel/status/1244505337182294016

Orosa, R. (2014, November 30). Mommy D for Palawan Express. The Philippine Star. Retrieved from https://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2014/11/30/1397419/mommy-d-palawan-express

Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala. (2020, April 13). Mga Suki! Ang mga trending posts tungkol sa ayuda o cash assistance mula sa mga kilalang personalidad sa pamamagitan ng aming Suki Card ay HINDI TOTOO! Mag-ingat sa mga SCAMMERS at FAKE NEWS! [Facebook status update]. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/palawan.pawnshop/posts/3118174361565908

Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala. (n.d.). About us. Retrieved from https://www.palawanpawnshop.com/about