Fake News, Fake IDs

FAKE NEWS SEEN TO DRIVE UP DEMAND FOR FAKE IDs “The ‘fake news’ that a person has to be a registered voter in order to receive government aid during this COVID-19 national health crisis, seems to have created a market for fake voter identification cards,” COMELEC spokesperson James Jimenez said today. The statement was made in light of the recent report that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) recently arrested two individuals for allegedly producing and selling online spurious voter’s identification cards. In view of this development, the COMELEC spokesperson reminded the public that the COMELEC no longer issues voter identification cards. “The COMELEC has stopped issuing Voter IDs, in anticipation of the launch of the National ID system,” Jimenez explained. “Anyone who claims to be able to produce a ‘COMELEC-issued voter ID’ is a scammer who is trying to take advantage of the public,” he warned. The COMELEC also reiterated that being a registered voter is not a qualification for receiving any form of aid from the government. This echoes the earlier pronouncement of DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya that being a registered voter is not a factor in determining who gets into the list of beneficiaries of the government’s social amelioration program. Anyone who is offered a “COMELEC voter ID” for sale is encouraged to get in touch with their local COMELEC office immediately.