A Tarlac regional trial court has upheld its decision to deny the cancellation of former mayor Alice Guo’s certificate of live birth (COLB), a move described by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) as a victory for the integrity of the country’s civil registration system.
The Tarlac City Regional Trial Court Branch 111 on Oct. 23, 2025, resolved to junk Guo’s motion for reconsideration seeking to cancel her COLB, citing a lack of merit.
“We see this ruling as a big win in our efforts to uphold and protect the integrity of our civil registry system. This is a stern warning – any act of deceit or falsification in civil registry documents will not be tolerated and will be met with the full force of the law,” said national statistician, civil registrar general and PSA Undersecretary Claire Dennis Mapa.
The PSA said it views the court’s ruling as a significant milestone, validating its efforts to maintain the public’s civil registration system.
PSA legal service director Eliezer Ambatali said the decision “validates that laws are enforced, ensuring that transgressions will face appropriate legal consequences. This also reinforces our campaign to strengthen the civil registration operations against fraudsters and deter others from doing similar acts.”
The PSA said it is continuously working with law enforcement agencies on investigations and the filing of cases for fraudulent acts involving civil registry documents.
The PSA said its fraud management division also conducts regular audits among local civil registry offices.
It said to enhance security, it has instituted key reforms, including one that requires individuals applying for late birth registration to personally appear at the local civil registrar’s office.
The PSA also urged the public to immediately report any fraudulent activities related to civil registration.
 praises the ruling as a win for the integrity of its civil registration system and a warning against falsification.){kind=link}