Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Davao Director Alex Roldan told SunStar Davao in a phone interview that their office had received reports that certain groups are selling these cards online.
Roldan insisted that such card does not exist, and that the public should immediately report to authorities individuals behind the selling of falsified public documents.
“Ako lang iklaro nga walay gimugna nga (I would like to clarify that the government has not issued any) vaccination exemption cards. Fake na, dili na tinuod (That is fake),” Roldan said.
In a press release from DILG national, the “exemption cards” supposedly originated in Facebook groups and group chats in Davao Region and Soccsksargen, claiming that the cards can be registered to local government units (LGUs) and are supposedly recognized by local authorities in lieu of Covid-19 vaccination cards.
Roldan said, however, that the person behind the fake cards had been arrested. He did not provide additional details on the suspect.
He said the government will never issue nor recognize such cards because this runs counter to the government’s national vaccination program to inoculate the majority of the populace to achieve population protection.
He added that checkpoint personnel were already aware of this scheme, and they are ordered to intensify their monitoring against individuals using these cards.
The DILG head said that only licensed medical doctors can issue exemptions through a certificate to individuals that are not fit to receive the vaccine for medical reasons.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio also reminded Dabawenyos about the proliferation of unauthorized vaccination cards and “vaccination exemption cards.”
“Magremind ta sa tanang kaigsuonang Dabawenyo nga dili magpadala aning mga ingon ani nga scam kay kamo ang lugi aning mga scammer (I would like to remind our fellow Dabawenyos to not fall for these kind of scams since you would be at the losing end of these scammers),” Duterte-Carpio said.
The mayor asked the Anti-Scam Unit to monitor the activities of fabrication of unauthorized vaccination cards and production of vaccination exemption cards.
She also emphasized that there is no need to secure such card considering that vaccination is still not mandatory in the city.
