Palace: DILG will investigate 'overpriced' Boracay IDs

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday said the Department of the Interior and Local Government will investigate allegations that overpriced identification cards are being sold to non-residents of Boracay.

“I'm sure the DILG will look into this. Secretary [Eduardo] Año  will not tolerate this, if this can be proven,” Roque said in a Palace press briefing.

“It would easily be investigated by Secretary Año,” he added in Filipino, referring to Undersecretary Año, who is officer-in-charge of the department .

The IDs, which supposedly give non-residents of Boracay access to the island during its temporary closure, come at steep prices, according to Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson.

Lacson accused village officials in Boracay of extortion by selling the overpriced IDs.

“My information is not based on hearsay. Rather, it was on account of a spontaneous reaction by a friend of mine who was being told that he should cough up P400,000 for IDs that he was requesting for his staff and employees who are based and housed in Boracay,” Lacson said in a statement released on Tuesday.

“I am sure the barangay officials concerned know who they are,” he added.

Lacson said he thought of exposing the unjust ID scheme while advising the DILG to set up entrapment operations against village officials involved to put a stop to the scam.

Roque also noted there are only three barangays on Boracay, which is in the municipality of Malay, Aklan.

On Monday, Chief Superintendent Cesar Binag, director of Police Regional Office 6, clarified that based on their intel reports, non-residents should only be paying a total of P500 for the ID and not P1,000.

READ: DILG to look into alleged ‘overpriced’ Boracay IDs

DILG  Assistant Secretary Manuel Felix said the agency would look into the overpriced IDs, saying Año still found the P500 fee high for an ID.

Boracay will be closed to tourists for six months starting April 26 for rehabilitation after President Rodrigo Duterte called the resort island a cesspool.