BIZ BUZZ: Don’t use Tiu Laurel’s name in vain
Some unscrupulous individuals are going around town pretending to be Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., either to solicit funds or engage in unlawful activities.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has thus warned the public against communicating with these people who are impersonating the secretary on various social media platforms and messaging apps.
“These individuals are using the secretary’s contact number and image to create the false impression that the requests are coming from the secretary,” the DA said in a recent public advisory.
Following this incident, Agriculture Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Alvin John Balagbag issued a memo informing the DA personnel that Tiu Laurel neither engages in these activities nor has authorized anyone to do so on his behalf.
“All instructions from the secretary shall be through written communication with his signature and sent through the official email account of the Office of the Secretary,” Balagbag says.
In case anyone receives such requests, the public is advised to call the agriculture secretary’s office to confirm any supposed instruction.
Assuming that the law allows any government official to solicit money, it is highly unlikely that Tiu Laurel, or any agriculture official for that matter, would engage in such activity, as the DA is currently tackling numerous challenges on its plate—from controlling rice prices to ensuring a sufficient supply of commodities.
