Task force orders crackdown on fake medical clearance certificates
MANILA, Philippines — Police commanders under the quarantine enforcement task force have been directed to crack down on suspected fake medical clearance certificates of locally-stranded individuals traveling back to their hometowns, their chief announced Wednesday.
This comes as the Joint Task Force COVID Shield rolls out another requirement for local government coordination for travel authority if the LSIs traveling back to their hometowns will be crossing borders.
Along with its issuance of travel authority, the task force said it would be going "all-out" in its enforcement of curfews regardless of quarantine designations, and will also be sending more cops to business districts.
“While all arriving LSIs are being subjected to medical check and quarantine as a matter of protocol by the receiving Local Government Units (LGUs), those who use fake Medical Clearance Certificate and Travel Authority endanger the health safety of other travelers they would travel with and the people they would mingle within the quarantine facilities of the LGU destination,” said Eleazar.
“All uncoordinated travels must be presumed to be using a fake Medical Clearance Certificate and/or Travel Authority unless cleared by the issuing authority. Like those who manufactured these fake documents, those who are using them must be punished for endangering public health,” he also said.
Earlier on Tuesday, the task force commander announced in a memorandum that the JTF would intensify its screening process for travel authority by including a requirement for local government clearance as well, while arriving LSIs "will be checked by the police station of the LGU destination if there was a prior coordination made for the travel."
According to the JTF, travel authority can now only be issued if the receiving LGU gives a go signal for the LSI to travel through prior coordination between the police station that issued the travel authority and the LGU destination. The LGUs, on the other hand, may also opt to delay the entry of the LSIs in question.
However, data from the task force, which is comprised of the police, military, coast guard, and fire protection bureau, shows that over 46 individuals have been arrested for manufacturing fake Inter-Agency task Force identification cards, IATF pass, Travel Authority, Medical Clearance Certificate and other documents for community quarantine exemption.
“The lack of prior coordination with the receiving LGUs also results in the unavailability of the quarantine facilities to accommodate them, or lack of health facilities to those who would test positive for coronavirus,” said Eleazar.
“Travel Authority through prior coordination gives opportunity (sic.) for the receiving LGUs to plan and control entry of people particularly those coming from the National Capital Region which is the epicenter of the virus,” he added.
In July, the Palace admitted that there were failures and lapses on its part in enforcing minimum health standards at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, where thousands of LSIs were gathered under the government’s “Hatid Tulong” program, and where up to 9 of them crammed at the venue were suspected to have transmitted COVID-19.
As of the Department of Health's latest bulletin issued Tuesday afternoon, the coronavirus caseload in the Philippines stands at 241,987.
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