The Bureau of Immigration (BI) expressed alarm over the proliferation of fake documents being used by both Filipino and foreign travelers.
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco issued the statement after receiving the report from the BI’s Anti-Fraud Section which reported examining a total of 241 fraudulent and counterfeit documents for 2023.
Documents examined by the BI’s forensic laboratory included birth and marriage certificates used for visa applications, as well as passports, visas, and immigration stamps used for international travel.
Tansingco lamented the continued proliferation of fake documents, saying that most of these come from fixers who promise to provide quick processing of applicants’ documents.
He warned that the BI has modern equipment at par with other immigration agencies worldwide that can detect fraud.
The BI Chief shared that they have procured 3 new video spectral comparator, which is used for advanced forensic-level document examination and can be used to check travel and identity documents including passports, ID cards, visas, and permits.
Another two were earlier donated by the Australian Government through the Department of Home Affairs of the Australian Embassy.
“Apart from our immigration officers who are skilled in detecting fraud, fake documents can already be detected by our modern equipment,” said Tansingco.
“Those who attempt to use spurious documents will definitely be intercepted,” he added.