(Melchor Vergara contributed to this report)

In an era where smartphones have become our digital shadows, it’s a wonder why public figures still attempt to twist reality.

Case in point: The Office of the Vice President claimed Sara Duterte was diligently “on the road” serving her country, only to be foiled by the very technology most of us use to track lunch orders. Ah, social media—the ever-vigilant watchdog! A picture of Duterte frolicking along the beach, complete with time-stamped evidence, quickly emerged. It’s almost poetic: while some politicians still play by analog rules, the internet ensures their excuses can’t outpace the truth.

The OVP staff surely had a moment of collective facepalm as they realized that in 2024, pretending to be somewhere you’re not is as futile as wearing sunglasses indoors to avoid recognition.

Technology doesn’t forget, and evidently, neither do the citizens armed with smartphones and a keen sense of timing.