BOGUS QUARANTINE PASS. Members of the PNP Highway Patrol Group apprehend Roy del Rosario for using a fake quarantine pass in an operation along the Edsa northbound lane near Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Monday (April 20, 2020). Authorities have intensified the crackdown against non-essential travel amid the enhanced community quarantine. (Photo courtesy of HPG)
MANILA – Authorities apprehended a motorist for using a falsified document purportedly issued by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to be able to pass through a quarantine control point (QCP) on Monday.
Joint Task Force Corona Virus Shield (JTF CV Shield) commander, Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, identified the driver as Roy del Rosario, who was flagged by members of the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) along Edsa northbound lane near Camp Aguinaldo.
Del Rosario showed a certification bearing the signature of Interior Secretary Eduardo Año for him to be exempted from being checked at the police-manned QCPs.
Upon verification with DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, Eleazar said the document was fake and the attached signature was not that of Año.
“I immediately checked with an official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) who told me that the document was fake. That’s why he was arrested,” Eleazar told reporters.
He said that the documents stated that del Rosario is a member of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) engaged in transporting important equipment and medical supplies.
The document also instructs the PNP to allow del Rosario to pass through all QCPs and use sirens and blinkers.
He said del Rosario will also be facing charges and his vehicle was impounded for illegal use of siren, blinkers and commemorative license plates.
The vehicle does not have a license plate issued by the Land Transportation Office LTO) but it was bearing a commemorative plate with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) logo at the time of apprehension.
“He was using a siren and was so arrogant when confronted. When we found out that the signature in the document is not the signature of Secretary Año, we impounded his vehicle and we will file criminal charges against him that include falsification of public documents,” said Eleazar.
Eleazar said the mobile checkpoints inside Metro Manila are being manned and supervised by personnel of the PNP-HPG, who were tasked to check if private vehicle owners are complying with quarantine guidelines.
The HPG will issue a Land Transportation Office-Temporary Operator’s Permit (TOP) or Metropolitan Manila Development Authority-Ordinance Violation Receipt (OVR) tickets against motorists who are not allowed to go outside of their homes.
Following the incident, Brig. Gen. Eliseo Cruz, HPG director, instructed his men to be alert against fake documents being shown by motorists just to be exempted from the implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine.
More than 100 motorists have been apprehended for violation of the ECQ since Wednesday.
Cruz said they will be conducting daily operations against private vehicles to ensure that the ECQ guideline is strictly observed.
“We will continuously do this to send a message that we are serious in the implementation of home quarantine and social distancing. So, we are warning private car owners and drivers of non-cargo vehicles not to engage in non-essential travels because they will certainly be apprehended,” Cruz said. (PNA)
