PNP cracks whip vs fake PWD IDs

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. directed specialized police units on Tuesday to intensify intelligence-gathering and monitoring against the proliferation of fraudulent identification cards for persons with disabilities (PWDs).

The directive comes in response to concerns raised by the Department of Justice (DoJ) regarding a substantial gap between the number of officially registered PWDs and the volume of individuals presenting PWD cards to claim statutory discounts and benefits.

According to DoJ figures, only 2.8 million individuals are officially registered as PWDs nationwide, whereas approximately 8.5 million people currently use PWD IDs, revealing a discrepancy of about 5.7 million fraudulent or unregistered cardholders.

Nartatez instructed the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the Anti-Cybercrime Group to track down syndicates and individuals engaged in the manufacture, online sale, and distribution of counterfeit PWD identification cards.

The PNP chief cited that the crackdown follows executive directives from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Guidance from Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla to protect government benefit programs.

“These fraudulent schemes disrupt legitimate transactions and undermine the public’s trust in government services designated for our persons with disabilities,” Nartatez said.