Outrage in Philippines as socialite Heart Evangelista, ‘nepo babies’ return to spotlight
Evangelista’s husband, ex-senate president Francis Escudero, is accused of receiving US$2.7 million in kickbacks from flood control projects
Evangelista attended the Paris show last month with her mother, after skipping previous Milan and Paris fashion weeks last year at the height of a billion-dollar corruption scandal linked to anomalous flood control projects.
As outrage over the scandal soared, Filipinos turned to social media to expose and “corrupt-shame” the lavish lifestyles of the children and kin of contractors and officials linked to ongoing investigations. Online communities emerged with videos and posts of ostentatious displays of influencer wealth, from flying on private jets and expensive shopping sprees abroad to luxury car purchases.
One prominent influencer, Claudine Co, with over 300,000 followers on YouTube and more than 100,000 on Instagram, has since deactivated her social media pages.