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The Philippine National Police has filed multiple criminal charges against two persons involved in a “vaccine slot for sale” scheme in Mandaluyong City.
PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said charges for estafa, fixing under the Anti-Red Tape Law of 2007, and violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act were slapped against Cyle Cedric Bonifacio and Melvin Gutierrez before the Mandaluyong City Prosecutor’s Office.
Bonifacio was turned over to authorities by his father, a village councilor in Mandaluyong, after the local police began looking for him after his identity was confirmed in an investigation on the illegal modus.
Eleazar said Bonifacio, in his testimony, tagged Gutierrez, a barangay fire volunteer, as the one who helped him get a vaccination slot in the city.
“Bonifacio also testified that he only intervened once to get the vaccination slot for another person and the P12,000 given to him, through online bank transfer, was a reward,” the PNP chief said.
Eleazar said Bonifacio offered the vaccination slot in exchange for money to his high school classmate, who then rejected the pitch and made the public aware of the illegal activity.
He said an investigation by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the Anti-Cybercrime Group is ongoing to determine other people who may be involved in the scheme.
The filing of cases against Bonifacio and Gutierrez should serve as a warning to others who will try to cheat our national vaccination program. We don’t have to spend money for vaccinations because they are given for free,” Eleazar said.
