Boracay IDs not for sale, says village chief

BORACAY ISLAND, AKLAN – A village official belied reports on Sunday that barangay officials here were demanding money from business owners in exchange for identification cards for their employees.

Barangay Captain Lilibeth Sacapano urged those with knowledge of the alleged extortion activities to name names so as not to implicate all officials in the three villages on the island.

“It’s so easy to get a barangay ID for workers who have been on the island for six months. Why don’t they go to our barangay halls so they can [see] for themselves instead of spreading these false stories?” she told the Inquirer.

READ: Lacson bares scam in Boracay ID scheme

Sacapano said workers only need to present a certificate of employment showing that they have been working on the island for at least six months to apply for the ID.

Boracay’s native residents pay P200 for the ID while non-natives and foreigners pay P250 and P500, respectively.

Residents have rushed to secure a barangay ID because only residents with valid IDs will be allowed on the island starting April 26.

READ: Boracay folk, workers scramble to get ID cards as closure nears

Government agencies have said, however, that any government-issued ID with proof of residence in Boracay will be accepted.

A business operator with hundreds of employees told the Inquirer he has not monitored any report of IDs being offered for sale. /ee