By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
Three people were arrested in an entrapment operation after they were caught in the act of allegedly creating and selling fake vaccination cards and travel certificates at the La Purisima Building in Bacolod City’s Cuadra Street in Barangay 24 on Monday, January 17.
Police identified the arrested as 45-year-old Loreza Funela; 44-year-old Marivic Joros; and 18-year-old Ivan Joros, all of whom are residents of the said city.
According to Dr. Chris Sorongon, deputy for medical of the city’s Emergency Operations Center, he doesn’t know as to what pushed the three suspects to commit the crime.
However, he did warn those who are also creating fake vaccination cards and travel certificates to halt their illegal activity as they are putting the public’s lives in danger.
The fake documents are allegedly being sold at P500.
Meanwhile, in an interview with Bombo Radyo-Bacolod, Christopher Mayang, a nurse assigned at the COVID-19 vaccination center at the Ayala Malls Capitol Central, said at around 2:00 p.m. on Monday, two police officers showed up at the vaccination center and showed to him a vaccination card, verifying if it was a legitimate card or a fake.
The card was later discovered as fake as the person who signed the card had a wrong designation.
Mayang explained the nurse’s signature was labeled as a “doctor,” and there are also several “red flags” in the card such as the incorrect signature, an incorrect lot number, and an incorrect vial number.
The lot and vial numbers in the fake vaccination card also do not exist.
Authorities from the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), City Health Office (CHO), and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) recovered seven fake vaccination cards, seven fake travel certificates, a laptop, a printer, and three different identification cards.
They also recovered five P1,000 bills, which police suspect were used to pay for the fake documents.
The three are facing numerous charges involving falsification of public documents, as well as violating sections of Republic Act 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events Act./DGB, WDJ