PNP sues vaccine sale whistle-blower

MANILA, Philippines — The person who exposed the alleged sale of COVID-19 vaccine slots is now being accused by the police of involvement in the scam.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) yesterday announced that it has also filed charges of estafa, violation of RA 11032 or the Anti-Red Tape Act and RA 10175 or the Anti-Cybercrime Prevention Act against Nina Ellaine Dizon-Cabrera.

PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said the charges were filed by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) before the Mandaluyong prosecutor’s office on Monday.

The CIDG filed similar charges against Cyle Cedric Bonifacio and Mevlin Gutierrez.

Cabrera was the person who revealed the alleged scam when she posted on Twitter screenshots of conversations of a transaction between people for a COVID-19 vaccine slot in exchange for money.

However, Eleazar said they included Cabrera in the charge sheet after an investigation by the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) showed she also offered 50 to 100 vaccination slots in Mandaluyong City.

Maj. Gen. Albert Ignatius Ferro, CIDG director, gave the same explanation for Cabrera’s inclusion.

“Based on the technical investigation conducted by the ACG , there is a post on the social media account of Nina that she is offering 50 to 100 vaccination slots in Mandaluyong,” Ferro said in a text message to The STAR.

“So there is an intent to sell on the part of Nina so wedecided to include her in the cases that we referred,” he added.

Cabrera expressed disbelief over the PNP’s decision implicating her in a scam that she herself had exposed.

“I am completely baffled as to why I am being dragged into this scheme when in fact, I exposed the scam on my Twitter account last May 21, 2021,” she said.

Cabrera said she has yet to receive anything from the complainant.

Bonifacio, meanwhile, offered vaccine slots to a former classmate in his school and name-dropped Gutierrez, a volunteer firefighter and barangay aide, as his contact for a reservation, Eleazar said.