2 held for producing fake COVID-19 results using editing app – CIDG

Police raided a computer shop in Caloocan after complaints that the employees of the shop were falsifying documents for COVID-19 test results. /CIDG

MANILA, Philippines — Two people were detained on Thursday for allegedly producing fake COVID-19 results written in medical documents using a computer editing application, police said Friday.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDG) identified the arrested suspects as Angelica Arino Dellola and Jeshel Roldan Mohad.

The arrest came after CIDG, Northern Police District and Caloocan City police operatives conducted an entrapment operation at a computer shop along Boungavilla Street in Barangay 177 at around 5 p.m. after they received a report from social media that the employees of the shop were fabricating swab test results.

The medical document was being scanned and edited to change the swab test result to negative, according to the complaint.

Seized from the suspects were several computer equipment; printers; photocopying machine; scanner; several cables and several receipts.

Suspects are under custody of CIDG Quezon City where they will face complaints for falsification of documents and violation of Republic Act 11332 or Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act.

In a press briefing at Quezon City on Friday, Metro Manila police chief Major Debold Sinas hoped that this incident is an isolated case, saying it may pose risk for the credibility of test results.

“Hina-highlight namin ito kasi nakakatakot ito na ang  result mo ay fake para mabigyan ka ng clearance,” Sinas said.

(We are highlighting this because it would be dangerous if you have a test result that is fake just to receive clearance.)

Sinas also asked the public to report cases of falsifying medical certificates. [ac]