Chinese Citizens Successfully Apply for Philippine Passport with False Birth Certificate

The Philippine Statistics Authority (psa) Assistant National Statistician Marizza Grande confirmed that some foreigners obtained Philippine birth certificates and applied for Philippine passports through illegal means. After checking with the Department of Foreign Affairs, the authorities determined that at least six foreigners holding Philippine passports presented Philippine birth certificates when submitting applications, but stressed that these documents were forged.

Grande noted that of the six false birth certificates, some were manually registered in the civil registry, while the authorities were verifying the origin of these documents.

However, one of the birth certificates proved to be authentic.

The Bureau of Statistics is in the process of learning more about other foreigners who may be suspected of submitting false birth certificates to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During Friday's plenary debate, senators sounded the alarm over an alleged plan to issue Filipino passports to foreigners.

Senate President pro tempore Loren Legarda said the Department of Foreign Affairs is "actively working with law enforcement agencies to bring appropriate criminal charges against foreigners who illegally obtain Philippine passports in the future".

Meanwhile, the Philippine Senate President, Juan Miguel Zubiri, revealed that an investigation is under way into a town in the Caraga district where many Chinese citizens are said to have applied for Philippine birth certificates.