QUEZON City Mayor Josefina 'Joy' Belmonte has approved an ordinance passed by the city council that will detain and penalize anyone behind the fraudulent sale, distribution or administration of vaccines or vaccine slots for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

The measure, introduced by Councilors Franz Pumaren, Dorothy Delarmente and Diorella Maria Sotto-Antonio, will also hold liable those falsifying vaccination cards and engaging in other illegal acts.

Belmonte confirmed to The Manila Times that they had been receiving reports that some individuals were showing up at vaccination sites with fake notification texts from the city government.

The supposed text or email messages were purportedly sent to them but their names were not on the list of confirmed vaccinees for the day when verified, she said.

Lauding the city council members for passing the ordinance 'right on time', Belmonte said the measure was meant to thwart any illegal attempt to capitalize on the Covid-19 vaccination program.

'This should serve as a warning to those who want to take advantage of the city's vaccination program through illegal means. We won't take your illegal acts sitting down and we will go after you with the full force of the law,' the city chief executive said.

The ordinance was passed following reports regarding the selling of Covid-19 vaccines from allocations provided by the national government.

In addition, there were also reports of tampering of vaccine cards and persons offering fake Covid-19 vaccines, he said.

Under the measure, among the prohibited acts include counterfeiting, forging, altering or imitating a vaccine card or any information, signature, seal or feature on the same.

The ordinance seeks to penalize 'those misrepresenting any information requested by authorities in relation to vaccination, including the information indicated in the vaccine card, for purposes of obtaining undue benefits or privileges'.

It will also penalize those involved in 'the sale, advertisement, distribution, solicitation, or administration of Covid-19 vaccines for profit and commercial purposes without any authorization or permit issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'.

'Those purchasing Covid-19 vaccines, whether from a private individual or a government official/employee, without any authority, issued by the FDA and those engaged in selling Covid-19 vaccine slot/s originally reserved by the person applying for the same to others for the purpose of substituting someone other than the original and supposed applicant are also liable under the ordinance,' it said.

'The ordinance will penalize those purchasing Covid-19 vaccine slot/s, whether from a private individual or a government official/employee and those misrepresenting vaccine status for purposes of fraud or deceit, including a fully vaccinated person pretending to be unvaccinated for purposes of receiving additional inoculations,' it said.

Violators will be meted 'a fine of P5,000 or imprisonment of not less than one month but not more than six months or both at the discretion of the proper court,' the ordinance said.

If the offense is committed by a firm, partnership, corporation or other juridical entity, the chief executive officer, president, general manager or such other officer in charge will be held liable, it said further.

Aside from this, violators may also be charged for violation of Republic Act 9771 or the 'Food and Drug Administration Act of 1991, the Revised Penal Code and other applicable laws, the local government said.