Solon wants to investigate ‘PWD ID for sale’ scam

ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Eric Go Yap/photo courtesy of Youtube and Tribune

Manila, Philippines- ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Eric Go Yap is calling Congress to investigate the sale of a person with disabilities (PWDs) identification cards to individuals who want to enjoy discounts and privileges reserved for PWDs.

The Party-list Representative has been receiving reports of persons faking their impairment to get a PWD ID, as well as fixers offering the ID for sale to interested parties.

Yap said he filed House Resolution 45 urged the appropriate House committee to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation on the implementation of the law expanding the benefits and privileges of PWD ID.

He said those who fake their disabilities or those who buy the IDs from fixers are mostly well-off individuals.

According to Yap, he personally witnessed the practice, how an able individual use the PWD ID while he was dining at a restaurant in Manila.

The lawmaker said he saw a family of six, with the four children, all teenagers, each showing a PWD ID upon paying the bill, even though they do not seem to have any disabilities.

To further investigate the cheating, the lawmaker said he asked someone who does not have any disability but willing to pay any amount just to get a PWD ID.

The person managed to obtain the ID, he then asked the help of 15 other individuals to get their own PWD IDs in different parts of Metro Manila, which they successfully obtained.

Yap showed to media the PWD IDs that were obtained by the individuals, including the booklets that go with the issuance of the ID.

"Itong fake PWD kumakalat na ito, linalako na ito.... Di ba yung polio nga kumakalat nagkakaroon ng outbreak, magkakaroon na rin po ng outbreak nito kasi nilalako na e. Kung sino-sino ang nakakapaglako," Yap said in a press conference on Tuesday.

Based on reports, he gathered, the price of fake PWD IDs ranges between PHP1,000 to PHP3,000.

He has also learned from reports that the fake PWD IDs are used to book airline tickets, both for international and domestic flights.

He is also calling the attention of municipal and city mayors to look into these cases as huge amounts of money are being taken away from their coffers with all the discounts and privileges individuals with fake disabilities get.

“Kung wala tayong gagawin na aksyon, di ba iyong polio nga kumakalat nagkakaroon ng outbreak, magkakaroon na rin po ng outbreak nito (fake PWD IDs) kasi nilalako na ho. Kung sino-sino ang nakakapaglako (If we do not act, like polio, there will soon be an outbreak on this because it is already being sold. It is already being sold and bought by anybody),” Yap said.

 Yap even called on restaurant owners and their crew to confront suspicious-looking individuals who have PWD IDs. 

He further asked them to take photos of these individuals and post them on social media so that others will be discouraged to do the same practice.

 “Kailangan natin ng shame campaign. Ang mga gumagawa nito may pera. Mahihiya ho sila kung tayo ilalabas natin ito, ikakalat natin ito (We need a shame campaign. Those who do this have money. They will be ashamed if we post and share this),” Yap said.

"Maliwanag na pagnanakaw na sa gobyerno ito. Hindi katanggap-tanggap ito. Gagamit kayo ng pekeng PWD, pepekein niyo yung isang libo, yung tunay na PWD hindi makakuha, hirap na hirap sa requirements (This is a clear case of defrauding the government. This is unacceptable. You use a fake PWD ID for one thousand pesos, yet a true PWD cannot obtain one because of difficulties in getting the requirements)," he added. 

Source: PNA