ILOILO – The Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) is warning travelers presenting fake reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results and other documents.
IPPO director, Police Colonel Gilbert Gorero, said the police will arrest violators.
President Rodrigo Duterte appealed on Monday night to travelers not to use fake RT-PCR test result to sneak into tourist destinations. He ordered the police, tourism and local government unit (LGU) officials to arrest violators.
“We are duty bound to apprehend violators of protocols being imposed by the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (MEID),” Gorero said.
Violators would be placed under strict quarantine pending investigation and charged for falsification of documents.
Meanwhile, the IPPO director enjoins the public to be more patient with the implementation of measures to stem the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The provincial police in partnership with local officials have established border control points to implement the travel restrictions pursuant to Executive Order 175 of the Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. limiting public mobility to essential travels.
“Bear with us. This is for the good of us all. Follow health protocols so that we can go back to the new normal situation,” Gorero said.
Last week, four tourists bound for Boracay Island in Malay, Aklan were caught with fake RT-PCR tests and quick response (QR codes) at Tabon Port in Caticlan.
More tourists went to Boracay after it was reopened to tourists, but prior to entering the island, they must have negative RT-PCR test results.
The four, who were from the National Capital Region, are currently on quarantine in Kalibo. They would be subjected to swab testing.
The Malay municipal police station or the Department of Tourism can file appropriate charges against the violators for violation of Republic Act 11332 (Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act) and falsification of documents./PN
