VICE President Leni Robredo yesterday slammed scammers who ordered some P100,000 worth of grocery items and had it delivered to her office in Quezon City last Monday, saying it victimized delivery riders more than her.
“I was in the office, deep in meetings, yesterday when three delivery riders arrived with more than P100,000 worth of goods from three merchants in my name on a cash on delivery basis,” the Vice President said on a Facebook post.
Robredo’s spokesman Ibarra Gutierrez said multiple orders under Robredo’s name were made through an online app Metromart and delivered to the OVP in New Manila, Quezon City, on cash-on-delivery (COD) basis.
Robredo, the opposition’s presidential aspirant, did not say if there was a political motive behind the incident but said she got immediately worried for the delivery riders because they were the ones directly affected and inconvenienced by the scammers.
“Sobrang abala sa kanila. Baka akala ng scammers ‘yung burden nasa amin. Hindi iniisip na kinakawawa nila ‘yung riders saka ‘yung mga shoppers nila na nabiktima. Umuulan pa naman kahapon and nabasa sila (It caused them too much inconvenience. Maybe the scammers thought that the burden was on me. They didn’t think that what they did to the riders and shoppers were wrong. Worse, it was raining yesterday and they got wet),” Robredo said.
The Vice President thanked Metromart and the merchants for the return of the items to its partner supermarkets.
“Napakadali ng pag-ayos ng return ng goods. Sana lang sa panahon ng matinding kagipitan, huwag ng mag isip ng mga panloloko at ‘yung mga maliliit na naman ‘yung mga nabibiktima (It was easy to facilitate the return of the goods. I just hope that at this time of hardship, let’s not think of ways to dupe others because the poor are the ones victimized),” Robredo said.
In a statement attached to Robredo’s post, Metromart said: “All items have been returned to our partner supermarkets and stores without charging the riders.”
“We are calling on the public not to scam, prank and waste the time of our delivery riders and shoppers who are working hard to support their families and are risking their lives to safely deliver groceries to Filipino homes during this pandemic,” Metromart said.
VERIFIED AND CANCELLED
In the Senate, Senators Francis Pangilinan and Risa Hontiveros likewise fell prey to fake online delivery bookings last Monday.
In a statement, Pangilinan said his office received a message that some P90,000 worth of frozen meat and wine were to be delivered to his office at the Senate on COD basis.
He said his staff members immediately informed the sender that Pangilinan did not make such order.
“Fake po ‘yung order. Buti na lang hindi pa na-deliver. Paki-usap po sa mga gumagawa nito, hirap na po ang ating mga kababayan sa pandemya, huwag nang manloko pa
(Those were fake orders. It’s good that they have not yet been delivered. I am appealing to those who did it, please stop fooling people because our countrymen are already badly affected by the pandemic),” Pangilinan said.
Hontiveros said the fake online orders were obviously meant to discredit them.
Pangilinan is the vice presidential candidate of Robredo, while Hontiveros is seeking reelection.
Hontiveros said her office also received a message verifying her alleged order of P17,000 worth of lechon with a shipping cost of P800, for a total amount of P18,300.
The seller supposedly told her staff that the senator needs to first pay for the lechon via bank transfer, otherwise the order will be cancelled.
She said the order even had a note #WeLoveDuterte and #ILoveDrilon.
She said she revealed the modus operandi to protect local businesses.
“Businesses will stand to lose with this modus operandi, and so will their employees and delivery riders,” Hontiveros said, adding her office has alerted proper authorities on the matter. — With Raymond Africa
