Swab test results forgers can be charged with estafa

The Philippine National Police (PNP) continues to receive complaints about alleged incidents of forgery of COVID-19 swab test results.

PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana told TeleRadyo that some individuals are getting fake COVID-19 test results because they have connections to the hospital.

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“Resulta po ito kasi ng ilan sa mga unscrupulous individuals na nakakonek din siguro sa ospital at nakaka-capture sila ng ilan sa mga information coming from these hospitals and clinics,” said Usana.

The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) also discovered that hospitals and clinics themselves provide papers or information for fake swab test results.

According to Usana, everyone should be responsible because the world is facing a pandemic and human life is at stake here.

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“Maituturing po namin ito na isang scam o pamamaaraan para manloko na naman ng mga indibidwal,” he said.

Usana warned that those caught doing so could be charged with estafa, especially if payment was made in exchange for a fake test result.

Today the price of swab testing is still costly but it is needed specifically for travelers to different parts of the country.

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Doctor in Valenzuela allegedly forges swab test results

A doctor and his clinic in  are being sued for allegedly forging the RT-PCR test results. The complainant is also a doctor who manages a clinic in Bulacan.

Ivan Mayrina reported on GMA News “24 Oras” on Wednesday that the doctor in question was identified as Jovith Royales, manager and chief executive officer of the Best Care and Diagnostic Clinic in Valenzuela.

The complainant is Dra. Alma Radovan-Onia, medical director of the Joni Villanueva Molecular and Diagnostic Laboratory in Bocaue, Bulacan.

Onia complained that Royales continued to use the name JVMDL for his Best Care Clinic in swab tests even though the latter stopped sending them swab samples in October.

It is said that the two laboratories previously agreed that Best Care will send JVMDL the swab samples they can get for testing.

The COVID-19 test results obtained from Best Care are said to be evidence against Royales.

He also said that Best Care also claims it uses reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing for swab samples even if they are not.

It appears that the Department of Health has not authorized Best Care to conduct the COVID-19 test.