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MANILA, Philippines — An alleged seller of fake COVID-19 vaccination cards was arrested in Bukidnon, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Sunday.
The PNP identified the arrested suspect as Sharlyn Abdul, 20, who was arrested on Friday after selling two fake vaccination cards to undercover operatives of the Bukidnon Police Provincial Office (BPPO) for P700.
The PNP said the suspect was arrested in Barangay (village) Tankulan, in the town of Manolo Fortich after a concerned citizen tipped the police.
“We gave a stern warning against those who are engaged in selling counterfeit vaccination cards. Now, we are enforcing the law. You know that it’s illegal to sell these cards because you are falsifying a document and you are violating Republic Act 11332,” said PNP chief Dionardo Carlos in a statement.
Under the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases Law, those caught falsifying, tampering or using fake vaccination cards will face penalties including a P20,000 to P50,000 fine, or imprisonment of one to six months.
“This won’t stop here. We will identify the printing area where these cards are reproduced. We have to quell them before they can spread widely. Remember that public health is at stake here,” Carlos added.
To better monitor the movement of people in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus, vaccination cards are required to be presented upon entry to establishments in some local government units as proof of full vaccination status.
Metro Manila, along with Batanes, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, Biliran, Southern Leyte, and Basilan are currently under Alert Level 2 until Feb. 15.
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