THREE persons were charged before the City Prosecutor's Office in Bacolod on Tuesday, January 18, for allegedly making and selling fake coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccination cards.
Major Ramel Sarona, commander of Police Station 1, said they charged Lorisa Funelas, 46, owner of printing shop and resident of Purok Tunay, Barangay Bata, along with Maribeth Joros, 44, and her son Ivan Joros, 18, both residents of Purok Herbabuena, Barangay Villamonte.
Sarona said they filed charges for violation of Republic Act 11332, or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act, and falsification of public documents after the suspects were arrested in an entrapment operation past 5 p.m. Monday, January 17.
The operation was conducted by the joint operatives of Police Station 1 and Regional Intelligence Unit-Western Visayas along Locsin Street in Barangay 24 in the city.
Police recovered from the suspects 15 pieces of fake vaccination cards, printer, computer, laptop and the P500 marked money.
Sarona said the suspects were under surveillance for almost two weeks before their arrest.
He said Maribeth and her son used to standby along the Bacolod City public plaza to find a customer, adding that they are selling fake vaccination cards for P500.
Sarona said the suspects scanned a blank vaccination card, will reprint it and fill it up.
Meanwhile, Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia has ordered the city's Management Information Technology and Computer Services (MITCS) to intensify the issuance of BaCuna card, a quick response (QR)-coded digital vaccination record for fully inoculated individuals against Covid-19.
"We want to ensure that all BaCuna cards are all legal, authentic and genuine," said Dr. Chris Sorongon, deputy for data and medical analysis of the Emergency Operations Center Task Force (EOC-TF).
Sorongon noted that if all fully vaccinated individuals already secured the BaCuna card, the business establishment or any transaction will no longer honor the vaccination cards that were issued in various vaccination sites.