BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO & NYARIKA DOMANAIS
ILOILO City – The Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) warned the public against counterfeit peso bills circulating in the market this holiday season.
Brigadier General Archival Macala, PRO-6’s deputy regional director for administration, said the public must be careful with their transactions.
He said a thorough examination of the paper bills must be done to avoid being victimized by the modus operandi of lawless elements.
“Kasi kapag ganitong celebration, sometimes hindi na natin ma-check ang mga pera so dito mag-take advantage ang mga criminals. Dapat aware tayo para hindi mabiktima,” he said.
So far, Macala said the PRO-6 has not received reports on this.
Meanwhile, Major Rolando Araño, spokesperson of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office, urged the public to immediately report to the nearest police station if someone has been victimized or received fake money.
Genuine peso bills have security features. The fake ones do not have them. They are the following:
* Security paper – Money is printed on high-quality textiles and feels different from usual paper.
* Embossed print – Running your fingers across the bill should help you feel certain embossed marks or bumps.
* Tactile marks – These marks are in place to help visually impaired individuals differentiate the denominations, but they can also help you determine if the bill is legitimate.
* Watermark – The face of the bill should be present on the right side of the banknote as a faint shadow.
* Security fiber – The paper used for printing money is blended with other fibers and textiles for a sturdier finish that is difficult to replicate. If you see tiny lines on your cash, those are security fibers.
* Asymmetric serial number – This random set of numbers is registered with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and means the banknote you’re holding is real and legitimate. Take note that the numbers ascend in size from left to right.
* Tilt – Taking the bill in your hand and shifting it from side to side will reveal extra features you won’t find on fake bills. Once the light hits these features from different angles, you’ll see a shift in color.
* Security thread – This series of dashes runs vertically across the bill and varies shades depending on the denomination’s color.
* Concealed numerical value – The number should match the bill’s denomination.
* Optically variable ink – This feature is present on the P500 and P1,000 bills.
* Optically variable device patch – This feature is present on the P1,000 bill only and can be spotted on the left portion of the bill.
* Enhanced value panel – This feature is present on the P500 and P1,000 bills only. Both notes have the denomination printed in a thicker font on the upper left corner./PN
