Senate probes Filipino citizenship for sale scam

March 14, 2024 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Senators expressed alarm yesterday over a possible crime ring in local civil registrars that has allowed foreign citizens to fraudulently apply for live birth certificates.

The Senate Blue Ribbon committee conducted an inquiry after valid government identification cards, such as passports, were confiscated from foreigners, including Chinese nationals arrested during raids on Philippine offshore gaming operators or POGO.

“It looks like Filipino citizenship is for sale because of syndicates in places where there are several late birth registrations,” Sen. Pia Cayetano, who chairs the Blue Ribbon panel, said.

Cayetano made the conclusion based on the initial findings of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) that there were seven cases of fraudulent birth certificates obtained by foreigners by posing as late birth registrants.

Of the seven, one was an identity theft case wherein the registrant assumed a dead person’s name, according to PSA Deputy National Statistician officer-in-charge Clemente Manaog.

Manila, Quezon City and Pasig as well as Sta. Cruz municipality in Davao del Sur recorded the most number of questionable late birth registrants, Manaog said.

These falsified birth certificates were used to apply for passports.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has asked the National Bureau of Investigation to probe 17 passport applicants for fraud, DFA Assistant Secretary for consular affairs Adelio Angelito Cruz said.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian sounded the alarm over the confiscation of valid government IDs – alien employment permits, tax identification IDs, police clearance and PhilHealth cards – during previous raids on POGO facilities allegedly involved in sex trafficking and kidnapping for ransom.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said he was “shocked” that these foreigners were able to apply for government IDs, which they can use for “illegal activities” when applying for firearms permit or buying land.

“We have to crack the whip on these guys and apprehend them the soonest possible time,” Zubiri said.

Sen. Ronald dela Rosa raised the possibility that Chinese spies could have entered Philippine soil and posed as Filipinos by applying for government IDs.

“The country’s national security is at stake here. We might wake up one day surrounded by China’s People’s Liberation Army,” Dela Rosa said.

Cayetano said the fraud also affects overseas Filipino workers, citing one instance of identity theft after an OFW was prevented from leaving the country because records showed that someone had used her identity.

“This is also a reminder to the public not to doctor their official documents because it is a crime,” Cayetano said.