Joint Task Force Covid Shield commander Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar. (File photo)
MANILA – Joint Task Force Covid Shield commander Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar on Wednesday ordered a crackdown on syndicates engaged in the falsification of medical certificates and other travel documents of locally stranded individuals (LSIs).
In coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Camilo Cascolan, Eleazar said police commanders must ensure that perpetrators would be arrested, charged, and prevented from going back to their illegal activities.
“While all arriving LSIs are being subjected to medical check and quarantine as a matter of protocol by the receiving local government units (LGUs), those who use fake medical clearance certificate and travel authority endanger the health safety of other travelers they would travel with and the people they would mingle with in the quarantine facilities of the LGU destination,” Eleazar said in a statement.
A travel authority is needed by LSIs if their travel involves crossing the borders of Metro Manila, a province and a highly-urbanized city. Before a travel authority is issued, a medical clearance certificate must be presented to ensure that the traveler is free of coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
The task force also reminded all police commanders to be strict in counter-checking copies of travel authority that would be presented in quarantine checkpoints to ensure that the travel of LSIs was properly coordinated with the receiving LGUs.
Eleazar said prior coordination is important for the receiving LGUs to prepare and control the arrival of LSIs in their areas.
Some LGUs earlier asked the National Task Force (NTF) on Covid-19 to control the issuance of travel authority since the influx of LSIs in their areas resulted in a lack of quarantine facilities where they would be temporarily held and local health personnel who will assist them. (PNA)
