Personnel from the National Bureau of Investigation Central Visayas Regional Office (NBI-CEVRO) confiscate COVID-19 test kits worth P3.4 million from the suspect’s apartment in Barangay Capitol Site, Cebu City on Monday morning, June 22, 2020.| Photos from Paul Lauro
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation Central Visayas Regional Office (NBI-CEVRO) is now preparing charges against a 30-year-old man who was caught in an entrapment operation in Barangay Capitol Site, here, at past 9 a.m. Monday, June 22, 2020, for unauthorized selling of COVID-19 rapid test kits.
Lawyer Wenceslao Galendez Jr., one of the investigators of NBI-CEVRO, identified the arrested person as Jemwin Fenon, who is originally from Tagum City, Davao del Norte.
According to Galendez, Fenon was under surveillance for about a week before the operation, after learning he was selling rapid test kits online.
During the entrapment operation, the NBI-CEVRO was able to confiscate a 134 boxes of test kits, which were estimated to cost P3.4 million.
Galendez said that the suspect was unable to show documents that authorizes him to sell the products in Cebu City.
‘Honest mistake’
He added that the suspect didn’t have an approval to sell from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“Bawal ang pag sell sa test kit nga walay approval sa FDA… this would create misinformation,” said Galendez.
(Selling test kits without the approval of the DFA isn’t allowed. This would create misinformation.)
Galendez warned the public not to trust buying products unless they are from the authorized organizations such as the Department of Health.
In an interview with the reporters, Fenon said that he was “shocked” when he was arrested as he was able to provide the documents from their company based in Davao City.
However, Fenon admitted that he did not know the selling of the kits online was prohibited.
“It was an honest mistake. We did not know that the order dated May 8 this year, prohibits online selling of test kits,” said Fenon.
As of this time, Fenon is being detained at the NBI-CEVRO detention facility pending the filing of charges for violating Republic Act 19711 or the Food and Drug Act Law. /bmjo