(Eagle News) — Philippine National Police Chief Guillermo Eleazar has ordered the filing of criminal and administrative charges against at least eight policemen who tried to enter Zamboanga City using fake RT-PCR test results.
Eleazar, in particular, ordered the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region to file the charges against the police officers who hailed from Isabela and Lamitan, Basilan.
The PNP said the policemen are facing charges for violation of Section 9, Paragraph B (Tampering of records or intentionally providing misinformation) of Republic Act 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act.
“We have zero tolerance for this kind of shameful and unscrupulous act,” Eleazar said, emphasizing that policemen are supposed to implement the law, and as such were expected to be the first to follow government-imposed quarantine protocols.
The eight policemen were onboard MV Cassey Beatrise and MV Crystal Jane when intercepted by local health officials at the Zamboanga port.
Upon verification, authorities discovered their COVID-19 test results were fake.
The police officers were fined, placed in quarantine and underwent swab testing before they were sent back to their respective ports of origin.
“Being a policeman doesn’t mean we are above the law,” Eleazar said.