The lobby of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Lapu-Lapu City. | CDN DIGITAL FILE PHOTO
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Authorities from Cebu City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) intercepted a passenger at Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) in possession of fake documents needed for entry.
The city government’s Public Information Office (PIO), in a statement released on January 23, 2021, said the EOC’s Airport Swabbing Team confiscated a forged barangay certificate containing inaccurate details on January 22, 2021.
It was used as part of Cebu City’s requirements for passengers from Metro Manila to present certification that they have coordinated with local officials from their destination-barangay for their arrival.
READ MORE: MCIA tells passengers from Metro Manila to secure ‘letter of coordination’
A copy of the fake document was also published on PIO’s social media handle.
It included a header bearing the official logo of the Cebu City Government but indicating the address as ‘City of Lapu-Lapu City’.
The certificate also showed that the passenger was bound for Barangay Sabang, Lapu-Lapu City, which does not belong to Cebu City.
An investigation is currently being conducted on the incident, officials said.
“Padayong gi-imbistigahan sa Cebu City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) ang mga gi-peke nga documento sa pasahero nga niabot sa Mactan-Cebu International Airport Biyernes, Enero 22, 2021,” portions of the PIO’s statement read.
(The Cebu City EOC is now probing into the fake document seized from a passenger who arrived in MCIA last Friday, January 22, 2021.)
CDN Digital has opted not to disclose the identity of the passenger indicated in the document pending her comments on the matter. /rcg