Who Is Duke Frasco? Solon Slammed for Allegedly Putting His Face on Sardines, Water for Flood Victims

Editor's Note: The views and opinions expressed by netizens in this article are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of IBTimes UK.

In the aftermath of the devastating flash floods that submerged parts of Cebu on Tuesday, 4 November 2025, public fury has centred on two high-profile figures. While engineer and developer Slater Young faces criticism, he is not alone.

Netizens are also calling out Cebu Fifth District Representative Duke Frasco, the husband of Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco, for his actions during and after the crisis.

The initial controversy targeted Slater Young, who is being blamed by netizens for the severe flash floods. Critics allege the disaster is a direct result of his company's mountainside real estate project, The Rise at Monterazzas.

The 'Banaue Terraces-inspired' development, which spans multiple barangays including Guadalupe, Sapangdaku, Buhisan, and Tisa, is being cited as the cause of the destructive runoff. While these serious accusations swirl, Young has not released an official statement, and netizens have noted that comments on his social media accounts are now limited.

Duke Frasco Faces Backlash for 'Personal Branding' on Flood Aid

As criticism against Young continues, Congressman Duke Frasco has been drawn into a separate but related controversy. He is facing intense backlash for the relief goods his team distributed to victims of Typhoon Tino.

Netizens and residents were quick to share photos of the aid, which included bottled water, instant coffee, and tins of sardines, all conspicuously marked with the congressman's name and photograph.

Ironically, the photos of the branded aid were shared by the congressman himself on his official Facebook page, alongside a message about the relief efforts.

'Padayon gihapon ang atong distribution of relief goods and conduct of feeding activities for our people in Liloan. Our efforts will not stop, even with our limited supply of relief goods. We have also requested the assessment of all damages and casualties from the LGUs in the 5th District of Cebu so that we can provide assistance to all those affected,' the Facebook post read.

The post included photos of his team distributing the items, with one image clearly showing a man holding a water bottle branded with the 'Frasco' name.

This sparked immediate condemnation from netizens, who argued that putting personal branding on relief aid is inappropriate, especially when the items are widely believed to have been procured using public funds.

Questions Mount Over Duke Frasco's London Trip During Cebu Floods

The controversy over the relief goods was significantly worsened by allegations that Congressman Frasco was not in Cebu when the typhoon struck. Instead, he was reportedly in London.

The accusations prompted his wife, DOT Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco, to issue an explanation. According to a 7 November 2025 report from SunStar Cebu, she clarified that their travel to London was part of an official Philippine delegation for the World Travel Market.

Secretary Garcia-Frasco detailed their timeline: 'I arrived in London on the morning of November 4 as head of the Philippine Delegation at the World Travel Market. I represented the country at the Ministerial Summit and also led the opening of the Philippine Stand in the evening. Given the severe situation in Cebu, I took a flight the very next day, November 5, to return to the Philippines. When we arrived today, November 6, we proceeded directly to Liloan.'

In a separate Facebook post, Congressman Duke Frasco later shared photos of himself and his wife visiting the wakes of those who died in the flash floods.

IBTimes UK has reached to Congressman Duke Frasco's representatives for comments.

Who Is Duke Frasco?

Duke Frasco, born in Cebu City, has been in politics since 2007, when he was first elected Mayor of Liloan, a position he held for three full terms until 2016. He even served as Vice Mayor of Liloan from 2016 to 2019, while his wife Christina took over the mayoralty.

He first won his congressional seat for Cebu's 5th district in the 2019 election, beating former congressman Red Durano. He was re-elected in 2022 and subsequently elected as a Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 19th Congress, a position he held until June 2025.

Frasco secured his third and current term in the May 2025 elections with 217,303 votes, beating his opponent by over 100,000 votes. However, he later failed in his bid to become House Speaker, which led to his expulsion from the NUP party for refusing to support Speaker Martin Romualdez and his subsequent formation of an independent bloc in Congress.

Beyond politics, Frasco is also the Director and Co-owner of the well-known Cebu bakery, Titay's Liloan Rosquillos and Delicacies, Inc.