ILOILO City – An administrative assistant of the Iloilo State College of Fisheries (ISCOF) in Dingle, Iloilo accused of faking her reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test result has resigned.
Fredda Lou Amias tendered her resignation to ISCOF-Dingle administrator Dr. Tessie Ortizo on Oct. 19, according to Aris Bañares of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Region 6.
The Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) sub-national laboratory in Mandurriao district, the laboratory managed by the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6, recently uncovered the bogus test result. It bore the names of signatories “Arriane Sibal”, “Abigail Joy Pastolero”, “Andres Miranda”, and “Pierre Layson” who were not employees of the hospital.
On Oct. 16, a personnel from ISCOF-Dingle validated with WVMC that the document was fake.
NBI-6, which was asked to conduct an investigation, summoned Amias.
According to Bañares, Amias intended to return to work after getting sick for weeks. But the latter exhibited symptoms similar to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and was required to undergo RT-PCR test.
On Oct. 5, Amias told the NBI, went to WVMC to have her specimen collected for COVID-19 testing.
She claimed transacting with a woman who, she said, gave her a personal data form.
After filling out the document, Amias said she was accompanied by the woman to the cashier to pay the amount P2,700.
“After sa cashier, Amias said gindala sia sang isa ka babaye sa isa ka room kag didto sia ginkuhaan sang swab samples then ginhambalan sia kuno sang babaye nga balikan after four to five days,” Bañares said.
Amias told the NBI she returned to WVMC on Oct. 9 to supposedly get her test result.
“Nakita niya ang babaye nga nagatindog sa lobby rason nga iya gin-approach kon sa diin kuhaon ang resulta. Diri, gina-alegar ni Amias nga ginkuha sang babaye ang resibo kag ginhambalan sia nga mahulat lamang tubtob nga nagbalik ang babaye dala na ang result,” according to Bañares.
Amias claimed she did not suspect that the document was fake since it had the logo of DOH and WVMC.
To check Amias’ statements, NBI-6 agents went to the WVMC and reviewed the hospital’s security camera footages.
“Gin-review namon ang footages sang adlaw kag oras nga ginhambal nya (Amias) pero wala gid kami nakita nga landong nya. It appears nga daw incosistent sang iya ginpanghambal,” said Bañares.
The NBI-6 once again summoned Amias to further verify her story.
“Naglain ang tono sang hambal sang employee. Gina-alegar naman sini nga sa gwa sang WVMC sila nagkit-anay sang isa ka babaye,” Bañares said.
The NBI-6 agent did not discount the possibility that complaints for falsification of documents and misrepresentation would be filed./PN
