Senator Win Gatchalian urged the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to pursue its investigation over the issuance of fake birth certificates to ensure that those involved in such illegal activity are brought to court and penalized.
The senator specifically referred to the 1,051 late registrants from 2016 to 2023 in the municipality of Sta. Cruz in Davao del Sur. Based on the Ad-Hoc Fact-Finding Committee of the Office of the Mayor, out of the 1,501 certificates of live births (COLB) reviewed, 54 were found to have been issued to alleged foreign nationals without Filipino parents.
“I urge the NBI to determine and validate the existence of the 1,501 late registrants. My apprehension is that there are more cases similar to this and people might continue to abuse the system unless those guilty are penalized,” he emphasized.
“The birth certificate is the basis of one’s Filipino citizenship, and foreigners who are able to spuriously secure a birth certificate can obtain a Philippine passport, get their own national ID, and buy real estate properties,” he noted, citing the case of Guo Hua Ping, also known as Alice Guo, who managed to get herself elected as mayor of Bamban, Tarlac on the basis of a fake birth certificate.
“Our solutions should not unduly burden our people but should be effective enough to prevent the likes of Alice Guo from taking advantage of the late registration process,” Gatchalian said.
According to him, the government should find solutions that prevent unscrupulous individuals or groups from taking advantage of the late registration process, which was established mainly for the benefit of indigenous peoples in the country and those residing in remote areas.
The NBI has already initially validated the existence of 102 of the 1,501 individuals who managed to get spurious birth certificates from Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.
As per the NBI’s investigation, none of the 102 individuals actually reside in the town. An inquiry with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) indicated that none of them had been issued a passport. The NBI added that a case for the cancellation of the birth certificates involved may be filed in 2 weeks.
