By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) over the weekend has issued a warning to the public after one of the city’s households received a letter claiming that they will be sealed off for purportedly having a COVID-positive person with them.

EOC Executive Director and City Administrator Em Ang, in a social media post, said a household in the city’s City Heights Subdivision in Barangay Taculing received the fake letter.

Ang said the unsigned letter itself is screaming fake as it mentioned “federal policy” and was clearly copied from an online article.

The letter also bears the seal of the City of Bacolod and claims to have originated from the office of Mayor Evelio Leonardia.

The letter also has the Abanse Negrense logo of Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson.

Ang is warning the public against these unscrupulous persons who, in the midst of a pandemic, have the guts to carry out such despicable acts of deceit causing undue stress and anxiety to unsuspecting victims.

“They are taking ‘prank’ to a new level of viciousness,” she said.

Ang also said at a time when we are facing a serious public health crisis, it is unacceptable that some people use this for their own entertainment or worse, some sick perversion.

“Everyone must cooperate in our fight to stop COVID-19 from further affecting our city, and refrain from causing more panic and confusion,” she said, adding if anyone also receives the same letter, contact hotline no. 4323879 or immediately report it to the police station or barangay./DGB, WDJ