Antipolo City Mayor Andrea Bautista-Ynares warned against the rampant use of fake persons with disability (PWD) identification cards (IDs) in a Facebook post on Sunday.

Ynares said a family was spotted using fake PWD IDs in a mall to take advantage of discounts allocated for PWDs. The mayor even found that the ID had her forged signature.

The fake PWD IDs allegedly belonged to “Rodrigo Valdez Cabe Jr.,” “Catherine Cayanong Cabe,” and their child, all residents of Barangay Dalig. Based on the IDs, one has a claimed “visual impairment,” while the other two have claimed “hearing impairment” and “orthopedic disability.”

“These individuals are not in our database, and there are other suspicious details in the fake IDs,” Ynares said.

A case has already been filed against those who allegedly used the fake PWD IDs based on the complaint of the mall. The charges are violations of Article 172 of the Revised Penal Code due to falsification and/or use of falsified public documents.

“This should serve as a warning to everyone using fake IDs,” Ynares said.

‘These individuals are not in our database, and there are other suspicious details in the fake IDs.’

She reminded the public that only the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs and Persons With Disability Affairs Office located at the GAD Building of Antipolo Government Center issues senior citizen and PWD IDs in the city.

Last December, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) warned of a nationwide crackdown on the sale and use of fake PWD IDs. The BIR considers selling and using fake PWD IDs as tax evasion.

The agency estimates that the practice cost the government P88.2 billion in revenue losses in 2023 alone.

According to the Department of Health, as of 9 November 2024, there were about 1.8 million registered PWDs in the country.

However, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian claims the number of PWD IDs circulating in the Philippines is much higher, at around eight million.

A PWD ID grants access to a variety of benefits, including a 20 percent discount on essential services and goods, and exemption from the 12 percent value-added tax on certain goods.

These discounts apply to various establishments, including hotels, restaurants, theaters, places of leisure and amusement, medical services, transportation (domestic air and sea travel, public railways, skyways and buses) and express lanes in commercial and government establishments.