PRESS RELEASE
​December 15, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ​

ILOILO CITY — Swifties Iloilo hereby issues this formal statement to address and clarify the unauthorized disclosure, misappropriation, and misrepresentation involving the proprietary internal term ‘Swifties Penguins’ by an individual formerly engaged with Swifties Iloilo in a volunteer apprentice capacity. The individual’s association with the organization has since been permanently and irrevocably terminated.

‘Swifties Penguins’ is a proprietary term used solely within Swifties Iloilo to identify our AI-powered services, specialized internal systems, and operational processes developed to enhance our community engagement and technical initiatives. This designation is an exclusive intellectual property asset of Swifties Iloilo and was never intended for public use, external branding, or independent representation by any third party.

Following a comprehensive internal investigation, Swifties Iloilo has confirmed that this former volunteer apprentice knowingly disclosed this protected term without authorization and misrepresented it online as describing an independent organization or community unaffiliated with Swifties Iloilo. Such conduct constitutes a direct breach of contract under the legally binding Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), as well as a material violation of the Code of Conduct, Intellectual Property Policy, and Terms of Use, all of which remain enforceable during and after the period of engagement.

Additionally, this individual improperly accessed and misused proprietary confidential internal resources and documents that contained unreleased content, strategic project plans, and internal service concepts that were intended solely for internal planning and not for public disclosure. These proprietary materials related exclusively to planned announcements, initiatives under internal review, and conceptual projects that may have been postponed or cancelled. These internal resources and documents are protected under applicable trade secret and intellectual property laws.

Importantly, Swifties Iloilo confirms that no personal data, private member information, or other sensitive data was ever made accessible to this individual at any time during their involvement with the organization. Our internal access protocols, privacy safeguards, and data security policies ensured that all personal or sensitive information remained fully protected and was never exposed or misused in any form. The materials improperly accessed by this individual were strictly limited to non-personal, proprietary internal plans and project drafts.

Despite this, the individual engaged in further misconduct by knowingly misrepresenting themselves as an authorized representative of Swifties Iloilo to contact local musicians, vendors, and partners for personal financial gain. This constitutes fraudulent misrepresentation, unauthorized holding out, and intentional misuse of intellectual property, which may give rise to civil liability and potential legal action under relevant Philippine law.

Swifties Iloilo expressly disclaims any and all liability for any representations, transactions, or commitments made by this individual. Today, the individual’s volunteer apprentice role was formally terminated effective December 15, 2024, and any actions or representations conducted in Swifties Iloilo’s name beyond this date were done entirely without the organization’s authorization or consent. Upon verification of these breaches, all access to proprietary confidential resources, internal systems, communication channels, and organizational documents was immediately revoked and permanently disabled.

In direct response to this violation, Swifties Iloilo has reinforced its internal governance and volunteer management procedures. This includes:

• Enhanced vetting and due diligence prior to onboarding any volunteer apprentice;

• Stronger confidentiality and compliance agreements during onboarding, with clear expectations and clear consequences if violated;

• Improved audit and monitoring protocols to safeguard all proprietary internal resources and documents;

• Clear expectations and accountability measures for all coordinators and volunteer apprentices to uphold the highest standards of trust, integrity, and data privacy throughout their engagement.

These protective measures ensure the continued security of all proprietary and confidential information while keeping the door open for genuine, qualified Swifties who wish to serve our community with integrity.

Swifties Iloilo urges its members, local partners, and the wider public to exercise caution. Any unauthorized use of the term ‘Swifties Penguins’, or any contact or communication from an individual misrepresenting themselves as acting on behalf of Swifties Iloilo, should be regarded as fraudulent and immediately reported to our official channels.

Swifties Iloilo reserves all rights to pursue all legal remedies available under applicable law to protect its intellectual property, community goodwill, and the security of its operational resources.

For formal inquiries, clarifications, or to report any suspicious use of the Swifties Iloilo name or proprietary materials, please contact us at report@swiftiesiloilo.com.

Swifties Iloilo remains firmly committed to safeguarding our intellectual property, protecting the trust of our community, and upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct and legal compliance. We thank our community, partners, and supporters for their continued trust and vigilance as we move forward together.