By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental’s provincial administrator, Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, affirmed over the weekend that the copy of the blotter of the traveler they have intercepted with a fake negative RT-PCR test result has now been forwarded to the Provincial Legal Office (PLO).

The traveler was requested not to be identified by provincial government officials, although the said traveler was a resident of Himamaylan City and arrived at the Bacolod-Silay Airport last week originating from Metro Manila.

According to Diaz, the traveler had violated the province’s COVID-19 protocols and must therefore undergo mandatory 14-day quarantine and will be subjected to an RT-PCR test at the traveler’s own expense.

Diaz said the PLO will now be responsible as to what charges will be filed against the violator.

It is possible that the traveler could face charges related to Article 170 of the Revised Penal Code for falsification of public documents, as well as violating provisions of Republic Act 11332, or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act./DGB, WDJ