DILIMAN, Quezon City – The Department of Agriculture (DA) has issued a memorandum last May 5, 2020 to report unauthorized use of DA trademark, logo, name, and other paraphernalia and corporate branding materials. The said memo was issued by DA Undersecretary for Administration and Finance Roldan G. Gorgonio to all officials and employees of DA Central Office, Regional Field Offices (RFOs), bureaus, attached agencies, and corporations, locally-funded and foreign-funded projects. It said that the department has monitored and documented some active accounts in social media sites and other platforms imitating DA and posting propaganda messages which violate applicable laws, including Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code. The said provision reads:

“Article 177. Usurpation of authority or official functions. – Any person who shall knowingly and falsely represent himself to be an officer, agent or representative of any department or agency of the Philippine Government or of any foreign government, or who, under the pretense of official position, shall perform any act pertaining to any person in authority or public officer of the Philippine Government, or any agency thereof, without being lawfully entitled to do so, shall suffer the penalty of prison correctional in its minimum and medium periods."