Moreno warns fake swab testing centers

MANILA, Philippines — Manila Mayor Isko Moreno has signed an executive order authorizing barangay captains to impose lockdowns amid reports of fake swab testing centers in the city.

Moreno said there have been reports of testing centers falsifying negative swab results of patients.

There were also reports about residents falsely registering themselves as residents in a different barangay, resulting in an inaccurate number of COVID-19 infections in each barangay, he added.

The false reporting of COVID data made it difficult for the city government to confirm the results before imposing a lockdown, Moreno said in justifying his order authorizing the barangay captains to enforce lockdowns.

Under Executive Order No. 12, Moreno authorized barangay captains to declare a portion or the whole barangay as a critical zone if infections rise to at least 10 cases.

A hard lockdown will be imposed over these critical zones, Moreno said.

The barangay officials should give at least two days’ notice before imposing the lockdown.

Moreno said swab testing centers catering to foreigners for a negative COVID-19 result would be investigated for taking advantage of the pandemic to make money.

“So to you all chung chang ching, I will let you experience how difficult it is to be imprisoned in the Philippines,” Moreno said in Filipino.

A swab testing center called Swab Express PH in Malate is being probed by the Manila police and city hall for operating without a business permit.

Moreno warned the owners of these businesses that they would face charges of falsification of public documents.

DOJ employee  dies of COVID-19

Meanwhile, a 54-year-old male employee of the Department of Justice died of COVID-19, DOJ Secretary Menardo Guevarra announced yesterday.

“He is the second COVID casualty from the DOJ,” Guevarra said.

According to Justice Undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay-Villar, the DOJ has tallied 68 cases of COVID-19 since last year, with 47 active cases, one recovery and two deaths.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court (SC) announced that all courts in the National Capital Region are closed until today.

The work suspension covers the SC, Court of Appeals, Court of Tax Appeals, Sandiganbayan and regional trial courts. –  Evelyn Macairan