MANILA, Philippines — Police arrested a man for allegedly selling fake COVID-19 vaccination cards in Quezon City.
The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) said Friday that its District Anti-Cyber Crime Unit (DACCU) personnel conducted a cyber-patrol on social media and noticed the account of a certain Reylelyn Dela Fuente offering vaccination cards for those who are not yet inoculated against COVID-19.
Police said the vaccination cards were being sold for P400 each.
DACCU personnel then coordinated with operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU) to validate the information.
The police units conducted a joint buy-bust operation at about 5:15 p.m. on Thursday at East Service Road near Edsa Balintawak, Barangay Unang Sigaw in Quezon City where they arrested the suspect identified as Mark Anthony Cervantes.
Police said they confiscated vaccination cards during the operation.
Cervantes will be charged with falsification of public documents under the Revised Penal Code and for violation of Republic Act No. 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act.
QCPD Director Brig. Gen. Antonio Yarra warned against falsification of COVID-19 vaccination cards.
“Any person who will be caught falsifying, tampering or using false vaccination cards shall face penalties which may include fine and/or imprisonment,” he said in a statement.