EDITORIAL - More fake documents to watch for

In an earlier editorial we said that the pandemic and the resulting restrictions and solutions will give rise to an industry of fake documents. By this we meant fake RT-PCR results, health clearances, travel clearances, barangay acceptance letters, and the like.

Now it seems that this has expanded to falsified medical documents that allow certain individuals to be prioritized for vaccination.

Just recently, nine people were arrested in Tondo, Manila, after they presented counterfeit medical certificates so they could get vaccinated under A3 priority, or persons with comorbidities, as per the priority list for vaccination released by the government.

An online report identified the nine as Aune Loresto, 19; Jolina Deonila, 19; and Deolita Malguita Jr., 27; and Chinese nationals as Shi Jialiang, 34; Dong Cai, 48; Manuel Chan, 49; Jessebele Ong Chan Chua, 43; and Hong Hong Yi and Hing Yuen, both of legal age.

As of this writing it has not been determined if they were acting individually or if a syndicate was involved in their deception.

Because the richest nations are hogging the lot or have already bought up the bulk of vaccines yet to be manufactured, we can expect have a limited number of vaccines to become available to us at any time.

And that’s what makes it so crucial. The limited number of vaccines should go to the people who really need them. If some people who don’t deserve the vaccines got them then that may mean some people who do deserve to get the vaccines didn’t.

This is something our authorities should look out for, the use of fake medical certificates to get vaccine shots. Because attention has been called regarding “jumping the line” as it is popularly called now, others who don’t give a damn about our healthcare or frontline workers may be willing to try other ways just to get their jabs in earlier.