Two (2) outbound passengers were apprehended in the Port of Cagayan de Oro on July 1 for presenting fake COVID-19 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results, a violation of RA 11332 or the “Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act”.
The said passengers who were supposed to travel for Bohol were caught faking their RT-PCR test results which they presented to the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force of the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (RIATF-MEID) of Bohol prior to their travel, after the latter verified the said document to the Department of Health (DOH) and found out that their names were not in the agency’s database of recorded individuals who underwent RT-PCR test. DOH informed and coordinated with the Port Police and an entrapment operation was conducted together with the Philippine Coast Guard, PNP Precinct 5, and PNP Maritime Group to capture the concerned individuals inside the Port’s Passenger Terminal Building upon their trip departure schedule.
Charges for violation of RA 11332, and other applicable laws will be filed against the suspects who are currently detained in Police Station 5, Macabalan. Tampering of records or intentionally providing misinformation is one of the punishable acts under RA 11332.