Fake government IDs seized in Cebu

MANILA, Philippines — Hundreds of counterfeit taxpayer’s identification number (TIN) and Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) cards were seized in Talisay City in Cebu on Monday, according to the National Bureau of Investigation.

NBI Director Jaime Santiago yesterday said the fake ID cards were recovered from Geraldine Tausa, who was arrested in a sting in Barangay Lagtang.

Tausa’s arrest came after one of her card resellers was caught in an earlier operation conducted by NBI agents.

The NBI, in cooperation with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), contacted Tausa through the Facebook messenger app, to supposedly buy a set of cards.

The NBI and BIR joint team seized from Tausa 250 pieces each of fake TIN and blank PhilHealth cards as well as a laptop and a printer.

Santiago ordered his men to intensifiy operations against the proliferation of fake government identification cards being used by unscrupulous people and criminal groups.