VALENZUELA City Mayor Wes Gatchalian has personally made sure the arrest of a man and his wife said to be behind the production of fake government identification cards especially for the persons with disability and senior citizens.
Identified only in their aliases, ‘Chippie,’ 44; an ‘Kaye,’ 40, both city residents, the suspects were caught red-handed when combined team from the local police and anti-cybercrime unit of the Northern Police District swooped down into their residence late last week following the mayor’s order.
Gatchalian told Good Riddance that he immediately sought the help of NPD director PBGen. Jerry Protacio after receiving information regarding the couple’s alleged illegal activities.
Prior to their arrest, Gatchalian said the suspects were offering their services in their posts through social media in which the fabricated IDs could be sent through couriers while payment could be made through Gcash.
When caught, the two yielded several bogus IDs also for driver’s license, Social Security System and Pag-IBIG Fund, among others, supposedly intended for those who ordered from them.
Depending on the kind of ID to be forged, police said the suspects would ask from P40 to P400 per piece.
The mayor expressed a sigh of relief with the arrest of the duo saying the city government has been receiving complaints regarding the proliferation of fake government-issued IDs especially for PWD and senior citizens.
Meanwhile, Gatchalian said the city government has already established a new digital portal for real-time validation – the VAL ID – especially designed for PWD and senior citizens.
The new IDs feature a holographic seal – a tamper-resistant tool designed to prevent fraud and guarantee authenticity.
Each ID is registered to a centralized data system dubbed Val ID or the Valenzuela ID Validation Portal, allowing the establishments to swiftly validate the identity of the cardholders.
“With these two innovations, we are seeking to protect not only the rights and privileges of our PWDs and senior citizens but also the integrity of local establishments,” he said.
Complementing this initiative is the 2024 ordinance which authorizes the establishments, whenever presented for use, to confiscate fake, tampered, or falsified IDs, according to the local government.
