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MANILA, Philippines — After two photos of Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon in Paris surfaced online in late December, multiple false claims spread about his trip.
One claimed he had met with former Rep. Elizaldy Co and the late undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral amid the flood control investigations, and another said government officials are prohibited from traveling abroad.
Facebook page “Camanava News TV” posted on Dec. 30, 2025 what appeared to be a social media card resembling those used by legitimate news outlets, claiming:
“Sec. Vince Dizon, spotted sa Paris, nakikipagtransaksyon kay Zaldy Co!” (Sec. Vince Dizon, spotted in Paris, transacted with Zaldy Co!)
Political commentator and former broadcaster Jay Sonza shared a similar claim on Dec. 29, 2025, during SMNI News Channel’s Pulso ng Bayan program, that Cabral was spotted in Europe.
“Ngayon may mga lumalabas naman that she was spotted in Europe ‘no. I don’t know whether in conference with Zaldy Co or with Secretary Vince Dizon who was reported yesterday to be in Paris, France,” he said.
(Now there are reports circulating that she was spotted in Europe. I don’t know whether she was in a conference with Zaldy Co or with Secretary Vince Dizon, who was reported yesterday to be in Paris, France.)
Another page named “South Manila News,” posing as a legitimate news outlet, shared the photos and claimed that Dizon should not be abroad because government officials have been barred from leaving the country.
“Vince Dizon, nagbabakasyon sa Paris kahit ipinagbawal ang pagbiyaghe ng mga opisyal ng gobyerno,” the caption read. (Vince Dizon, takes a vacation in Paris even when government officials are prohibited from traveling.)
Rating: These are false.
Facts
Two private Filipinos shared a photo they took with Dizon during his time in Paris, France on social media, one of which was posted by a car-for-hire tourist driver. These photos were used by Facebook pages alongside the unverified claims.
In a message to Philstar.com, Dizon confirmed he traveled to France during the holidays but rejected the claims that the trip was to meet with Co or Cabral.
He said his entire family visited Paris because his brother-in-law, Eduardo Jose De Vega, is the Philippine Ambassador to France. He is married to his sister, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Maria Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega.
“Absolutely false! Was there with our entire family bec my brother in law (husband of my sister) is our ambassador to France,” Dizon said.
Cebu Gov. Pam Baricuatro also confirmed that the De Vegas were in Paris, France, when she shared a photo with them from her visit on January 3.
The claim that government officials are prohibited from traveling for personal reasons is also false.
The DPWH order temporarily restricting personal travel for its officials lasted only three months and expired in November 2025, and no new memorandum has been issued barring such trips amid ongoing investigations.
On the other hand, while Sonza did not explicitly say Dizon met with Co or Cabral in Europe, his phrasing lent itself to conspiracy theory narratives, even after Cabral had been confirmed dead.
Police authorities released on Dec. 20, 2025, a day after Cabral died, the autopsy report and fingerprint comparison confirming her identity.
This came after speculations circulated Cabral may have faked her death, given she was in a position that helped prepare the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) budget for years.
Meanwhile, Co’s exact whereabouts remain unknown. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla last said Co is believed to be in Portugal, but the Department of Foreign Affairs said the Philippine Embassy in Portugal has not reported any information on his location yet.
Why we fact-checked this
Multiple Facebook pages and users circulated photos of Dizon in Paris along with social media cards containing false claims.
The post shared by Camanava News TV, designed to resemble a legitimate news outlet, garnered over 2,100 reactions and 536 shares. The page has more than 197,000 followers.
Sonza’s interview was also amplified by several Facebook pages, including Solid Ph News – ASUL, which has over 269,000 followers.
The post by South Manila News also drew over 22,000 reactions and 1,000 shares.
These posts fueled the baseless claims and speculations circulating online amid ongoing investigations into anomalous flood control projects and alleged budget corruption.
While government agencies scramble to restore public trust, only a few implicated in the scandal have been charged and arrested. Most of the high-ranking and elected officials tagged in manipulating the budget for kickbacks, however, remain free of charges. — with reports from Geraldine Santos and Rosette Adel
