Pasay City police arrest fake nurse, cohort for illegal sale of COVID vaccines
Two persons, one posing as a nurse, were arrested in an entrapment operation for selling coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines through social media at a very low price.
Pasay City police chief, Col. Cesar Paday-os, identified the suspects as Michelle Parajes, 35, and Angelo Bonganay, 28, both residents of Malinta, Valenzuela City.
Paday-os said the suspects were brought to the Pasay City police custodial facility and charges for violation of RA 10175 (Cyber Crime Prevention Act-Chapter II, Par.3, Computer-related Identity Theft) and RA 315 of RPC (Estafa and Swindling) were filed against the suspects.
He said the two were arrested at about 6:00 p.m. inside a fast food restaurant on Roxas Boulevard, Barangay 76, Zone 10, Pasay City.
The city police chief said members of the Station Investigation Division Management Section conducted an entrapment operation against the two after Dayrelle Esteban, 35, nurse and a resident of 183 unit G A Arnaiz St., Pasay City, filed a complaint against Parajes for using her identity as a registered nurse in her nefarious activities.
Paday-os said Esteban filed a complaint against Parajes for using her name through her identification card that the suspect posted on her Facebook page.
Esteban told police that Parejas was selling COVID-19 vaccines, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Sinovac, through social media using her identity.
Esteban, after learning that Parajes was using her name in selling COVID-19 vaccines, immediately transacted with the suspect for 50 vials of COVID vaccines amounting to P120,000.
The police said that Parajes demanded for an initial payment of P50,000 and agreed to meet with the buyer. An entrapment operation was conducted for the arrest of the suspect.
Estaban also told the police that Parajes claimed she was getting the supply of vaccines from a private hospital in Makati City and a government hospital in Quezon City.
Paday-os said SIDMB operatives were not able to recover any single vial of COVID-19 vaccine from the suspects.