FOR SALE FAKE RAPID TEST RESULT IN BUTUAN SEIZED IN AN ENTRAPMENT OPERATION

BUTUAN CITY – Regional Intelligence Division (RID) Caraga, together with the Business Permit and Licensing Division (BPLD) Butuan, arrested three individuals for selling fake rapid test results during an entrapment operation in San Francisco Street, Brgy. Sikatuna, on September 9, Wednesday.

The modus-operandi was busted when a concerned citizen reported to the authorities. The suspects were identified as Eric Cailing, 34 years old, single, data encoder, resident of Brgy. Mahogany, Butuan City; Raymundo Veloso Jr., 66 years old, married, rubber stamp maker, resident of Brgy. Cabcabon, Butuan City; and Rex Nathaniel Enriquez, 34 years old, married, rubber stamp maker, resident of Brgy. Tabontabon, Sibagat, Agusan del Sur.

The counterfeit test result was sold for five hundred pesos (500php), which will be ready within the day. All test results sold were negative.

During the operation, authorities confiscated two 500 peso bills and two fake rapid test results, wherein the name of Kristine Mae Jumaya of Butuan Diagnostic and Medical Clinic was being used.

According to the spokesperson in Butuan City Police Office Police Lieutenant Abel Bulawan the fake test result is almost identical to the original one, and the three suspects were selling them for more than a month.

“Wa ta kahibalo nga kadtong nakakuha diay sa maong peke nga rapid test is positibo diay sila unya naglakaw-lakaw, so dako kini siya ug kadelikadohan sa atoa ug sa komunidad,” said PLt. Bulawan.

(Those who bought fake rapid results might turn out to be positive, without our knowledge, and they might be just roaming around. So this is very dangerous to our community.)

This event resulted in new guidelines wherein travelers wishing to enter Butuan should take the rapid test upon arrival in the city.

“Sa bag-o nga guidelines nga gipatuman karon, kung traveler ka from other regions or from other province, halimbawa kung LSI sab ka, ang tan-awun sa atong kapulisan kining Travel Authority nimo together with the Medical Certificate documents. Ang CHO na dayun ang mo-advise sa imoha kung i-undergo naka for rapid testing. Buot pasabot, upon arrival, diri naka magpa-rapid,” said the spokesperson.

(In the implementation of the new guidelines, if you are a traveler from other regions or province, for example, you are an LSI, authorities will check your Travel Authority and the Medical Certificate documents. Then, the CHO will be the one to advise if you need to undergo rapid testing. That means travelers will take rapid testing upon arrival.)

The suspects who are detained at Police Station 1 are facing charges for the falsification of documents.

Meanwhile, Jumaya is also determined to file a lawsuit for using her name on the fabricated test result.