The Makati City police have arrested two persons who are allegedly part of a group that forged senior citizens’ IDs that entitle holders to up to a 32-percent discount on medicines.
Maricel Alonzo, 28, and Christian Vicente, 27, both of Paco, Manila, allegedly managed to buy expensive medicines worth P117,000 in one transaction from a Watsons branch on Dela Rosa Street, Makati, using falsified IDs, doctor’s prescriptions and authorization letters from a bogus care center for the aged.
City police chief Senior Superintendent Manuel Lukban said the suspects had used the modus operandi several times to procure medicines worth P4 million. After getting the items on discount, they then sell them to a retailer at standard prices, he said.
“The con artists were able to earn profit of up to P1.28 million. The Watsons’ manager sought our help because they were losing more money to this group,” Lukban said.
The fraud was discovered after a check with the physician—Dr. Kenard Felix of Makati Medical Plaza—who purportedly signed one of the prescriptions and the persons whose names appeared on the IDs.—Niña Calleja