Cebu City to go after printing shops selling fake vaccination cards

At least three fake vaccination cards were seized from a 46-year-old man after police conducted an entrapment operation in Barangay Kalubihan, Cebu City, on Monday afternoon, August 30.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City will be going after printing shops allegedly selling fake vaccination cards in the city following the arrest of an individual in Barangay Kalubihan, Cebu City, selling fake copies of vaccine cards from Mandaue City.

Councilor David Tumulak said he will be asking the Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) and City Treasurer’s Office (CTO) on the legitimacy of the printing business the man was caught in.

The police reported that the suspect, Clifford Arcilla, 46, managed the printing shop in Sanciangko Street with his wife, and the councilor wants the printing shop to be checked for its permits.

Furthermore, Tumulak said they will trace the lot number of the vaccination card being used in the forgery to identify whose card was used in the faking process.

“Atong gipaverify sa Mandaue City kay naa man gud nay lot number ang tanang bakuna nga ihatag nato sa mga tawo. So moappear na diha sa vaccination card. Maoy nakalisod lagi, maglisod tag verify especially walay QR (quick response) code,” said the councilor.

Unlike in Cebu City where every vaccination card has an issued QR code that can be used to trace the details of the owner of the card including when the individual was vaccinated and with what brand, other local government units (LGUs) do not have the same security check.

With this, Tumulak encouraged other LGUs to place QR codes in their vaccination cards, so that all vaccine cards can be traced and harder to be forged by anyone.

“Nag-awhag ta sa mga LGU nga butangan og QR code ilang vaccine cards, aron naay security features ug dili mapeke usab,” he said.

The councilor said they may be writing to the Department of Health (DOH) to investigate the fake vaccine cards being sold to the public as these cards may contain stolen information from an actual individual.

Since every vaccine card has a lot number that corresponds to the vial of the vaccine they received, the DOH would most likely have the data for whose lot number it belonged to.

For the councilor, the investigation’s goal is to eventually file the proper charges against the perpetrators because they are disrupting the vaccination goals of the LGUs.

He said that these activities undermine the efforts of the LGUs in reaching their goal for herd immunity.

With this, Tumulak urged the public especially Cebu City residents to get registered and wait for their schedules and avoid resorting to buying fake vaccine cards.

“Nagpadayon atong pamakuna karon. Register lang ta, paabot lang ta sa atong schedule,” he said.      /rcg

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