BY BENJAMIN CASPILLO III & JOSEF DAVIDON/UM Interns
THE PERSONS with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) assured that there’s no proliferation of fake ID cards for persons with disabilities in Davao City as of April 2025.
During the AFP-PNP forum on April 30, Atty. Redondo Martinez, PDAO head, said, “Naa lang mga gagmay na misunderstanding because atong Department of Health na registry or records dili updated. Mao to gipangsulatan namo ang mga restaurant that mao ning mga fake PWD IDs diri sa atoang syudad sa Davao City.”
He said they recorded rare incidents of fake PWD IDs by fixers. For instance, one individual used a bogus ID to receive discounts on hospital bills, while another tried to fake a disability to obtain an ID.
Last year, Restaurant Owners Association of Davao City Inc. president Benjie Lizada said several of their members complained about being victimized by individuals giving fake IDs to enjoy the 20% discount.
In response, Martinez endorsed the Davao Citizen ID (DCitizen ID) specifically for PWDs to address the problem.
According to Martinez, these new identification cards, which have yet to be released to the phase 1 group, offer greater legitimacy, distinguishing them from the old paper-based IDs.
Finally, Martinez warned that they will prosecute anyone caught using fake IDs to serve as an example to others.
