A resolution has been filed at the House of Representatives directing the appropriate committee to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation into the alarming proliferation of allegedly fictitious and falsified certificates of live birth and passports issued to foreign nationals.
House Resolution 1802, authored by Lanao del Sur Rep. Ziaur-Rahman Alonto Adiong, came in the wake of multiple hearings by the House Committee on Public Accounts that uncovered instances of land purchases by foreigners using falsified certificates of live birth and passports.
These documents were obtained through false statements and issued by local civil registrars.
“The urgency of this resolution is underscored by several specific instances of fraud,” Adiong said.
He cited the November 17, 2023 Senate deliberations revelation that 308 maliciously obtained birth certificates were used for passport applications.
“On July 10, 2024, a Chinese national was arrested for using falsified documents to apply for a Philippine passport. The following day, July 11, 2024, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) reported nearly 200 allegedly fictitious birth certificates issued to mostly Chinese nationals by the civil registry in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur,” Adiong said.
“This alarming trend continued, with the NBI uncovering an additional 1,000 allegedly falsified birth certificates from the same registry on July 16, 2024,” he added.
The lawmaker emphasized the importance of this inquiry in maintaining the integrity of the nation’s identification systems and ensuring national security.
“We must take immediate and decisive action to address this issue and prevent further exploitation of our systems,” Adiong said.
The joint House committees on local government and on justice will conduct the probe, according to the resolution.
