THE Philippine National Police warns of stiff sanctions against persons passing off counterfeit vaccination cards to skip border control and transport restrictions imposed by some local governments.
“Don’t ever attempt to falsify the vaccination card or else you’ll face raps. Remember, this is an offense under the Republic Act 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases Law. If you are caught falsifying, tampering, or using a fake vaccination card, you will be slapped with penalties including a P20,000 to P50,000 fine or imprisonment of one to six months, or both,” PNP Chief, Police General Dionardo Carlos explained.
Just recently, Cotabato City Mayor Cynthia Guiani posted on her Facebook page photos of two confiscated fake vaccination cards.
According to Mayor Guiani, these cards were presented at a border checkpoint by two individuals, but authorities became doubtful after observing that the first and second doses only had a 10-day gap.
“Since more local government units are now under stricter restrictions, chief executives may opt to implement the ‘no vaccination, no entry’ policy in establishments or entry points, including checkpoints,” Carlos added.
The Department of Transportation has also released an order prohibiting unvaccinated individuals from boarding public utility vehicles.
Carlos believes these instances can trigger other persons to desperately look for ways to move outdoors even if they are yet to get the jab.
To exercise prudence, the PNP has access to an electronic verification system to check if a person is already vaccinated through the database of the respective LGUs or the Health Department.
