Police on lookout for fake vax cards

CEBU, Philippines — The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-7 and the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) are preparing a crackdown against the proliferation of fake vaccination cards as directed by the national headquarters.

Although a formal memorandum is yet to be issued, Police Colonel Ireneo Dalogdog, CIDG-7 chief, said they will begin monitoring reports on proliferation of fake vaccination cards.

This after the governments have extended more privileges to those vaccinated individuals, including dine-in services.

In Cebu City, several establishments no longer accept customers in the absence of their vaccination cards.

Dalogdog, however, admitted that among the challenges in monitoring is the fact that local government units do not have unified vaccination cards.

“Itong sa vaccination card, ito ang medyo mahirap nating i-determine kung itong vaccination card na ito ay fake or hindi dahil may mga kasama tayo na nakakuha ng mga vaccination card na may QR code, yung vaccination cards nila,” said Dalogdog.

“Yung iba naman na tooto naman na nagpabakuna pero yung vaccination card na ibinigay sa kanila ay walang QR code,” he added.

Vaccination cards without the QR code will now be the focus of monitoring since this opens the possibility of being abused.

Dalogdog appealed to LGUs to release vaccination cards with QR codes for the police to easily identify their legitimacy. This would also allow the establishments to give incentives with ease.

Meanwhile, Police Lt. Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy director for operations of CCPO, also echoed the same sentiments.

In their latest meeting with the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), Parilla said they are eyeing to recommend before the Department of Health (DOH)-7 to issue a unified vaccination card.

Parilla said the card must contain safety features that cannot be copied by those who will proliferate fake vaccination cards.

“Yes, very easy walay mga safety features ang atong vaccination cards, kung inyong makita siguro, especially sa DOH very simple ra gyud siya. Mas maayo pa ang Cebu City as of now duna nay QR code ang atoang Cebu City vaccine card,” said Parilla. — KQD (FREEMAN)