Alarm bells should be ringing wildly by now after the recent revelation of the National Bureau of Investigation that nearly 1,200 fake birth certificates were issued to Chinese nationals from 2016 to 2019.
These documents were reportedly all processed by the civil registry of Sta. Cruz town in Davao del Sur.
This development has prompted lawmakers of the House of Representatives to call on the chamber’s leadership to probe the matter as soon as possible following reports that a Chinese national was recently arrested after applying for a passport in Davao City using a falsified document.
The NBI in Region 11 said the arrest was made after the Department of Foreign Affairs called the bureau’s attention to a 21-year-old Chinese male who gave contradictory statements about his identity in the course of applying for a passport.
According to Davao Oriental Rep. Cheeno Miguel Almario, a birth certificate is not something that can be easily given, fabricated, or bought.
“Filipinos are not for sale. There should be no fake Filipino,” he pointed out.
“We must understand that a birth certificate is more than just a document. It symbolizes a Filipino’s connection to their (sic) country. It is the first official document that every Filipino receives as birthright, establishing official tie to the nation,” he said. We agree.
The proposed investigation in aid of legislation seeks to further strengthen the legislative framework to ensure rigorous verification processes are in place for the issuance of birth certificates.
This could include reviewing the span of control of local civil registries, implementing more robust checks and balances, and imposing severe penalties on those found guilty to be facilitating fraud.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian had earlier bared what appears to be a fake birth certificate racket costing Chinese nationals P300,000.
Once they get the fake birth certificate, they can then apply for a passport and a driver’s license, making them full-fledged Filipino citizens entitled to enjoy the protection of their rights by the State.
According to the senator, the reported 200 falsified birth certificates in Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur is “very concerning” as it may indicate a syndicate is actively issuing valid Philippine documents to Chinese nationals.
There’s a possibility, he said, that these erring individuals are within the Philippine Statistics Authority itself or the local government of Santa Cruz.
The senator surmised that reports of fake birth certificates obtained by Chinese nationals could be another case similar to embattled Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, whose birth certificate, per the Philippine Statistics Authority, is “irregular,” and, therefore, the Davao del Sur case has already created 200 Alice Guos.
The senator has emphasized the need to review the entire process for applying for a birth certificate.
This is a laudable move by the senator as falsified Philippine birth certificates could pose a threat to our national security via espionage and economic sabotage, and a tool for criminal activities like identity theft, human trafficking and smuggling that could also endanger the lives and welfare of Filipino citizens.
