By Mariela Angella Oladive
Iloilo City officials alerted the public on Wednesday, April 17, about unauthorized individuals charging P700 to affix security labels on Persons with Disability (PWD) identification cards.
The city government affirmed that such solicitations are illegitimate, warning that the labels being offered are counterfeit.
The advisory specified that the Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) is the only entity sanctioned to apply security labels on PWD IDs for residents of Iloilo City, free of cost.
Mayor Jerry P. Treñas, through Executive Order No. 157 – 2023, decreed last year that all PWD IDs must have security labels attached within the window from November 29, 2023, to February 29, 2024. Non-compliance will result in the temporary revocation of PWD privileges until the IDs meet the new standard.
This initiative targets the curtailing of fraudulent PWD identification cards.
The security labels are designed to be tamper-resistant and verifiable.
Mayor Treñas conveyed the severity of the fraudulent activities, stating that offenders would face legal action.
“Legal actions will be pursued against those engaged in this illicit act. We cannot tolerate these activities compromising the integrity of legitimate PWD ID holders. I encourage the public to conduct their transactions directly with our PDAO located on the ground floor of City Hall,” Treñas declared.
PWD residents are strongly encouraged to handle ID-related procedures only through the PDAO.
The city urges anyone with knowledge of illegal PWD security label installations to inform the authorities.
