Palace disowns text alerts with Duterte-Duterte COVID-19 vaccine message

Malacañang on Thursday said the administration was not behind the spread of text messages alerting recipients on the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines and name-dropping President Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, as rumors swirl that they would lead an election ticket in next year's polls.

Some social media users have confirmed receiving text messages, saying "Dumating na mga bakuna: Magrehistro sa barangay. Magpabakuna pag natawagan na. Mag-ingat lagi –Pres Duterte at Mayor Sara Duterte #SafePilipinas #SafeDavao."

(Vaccines have arrived. Register with the barangay, get vaccinated when called. Always keep safe.)

"Bagama’t ang Presidente po ang best communicator, hindi po kami nagpapakalat ng ganiyang text," said Duterte's spokesman Harry Roque, who is in charge of the government's vaccine communications.

(While the President is the best communicator, we are not spreading that text.)

Duterte's political party, the PDP-Laban, urged him to run for vice president in the 2022 polls at a national council assembly that he authorized last Monday.

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Some members of PDP-Laban earlier pressed his daughter Duterte-Carpio to run for president.

Duterte has repeatedly denied that his daughter would seek to be his successor.

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