House bill seeks to expedite cancellation of bogus Phl passport obtained by Chinese

House quad committee leaders filed a bill on Wednesday seeking to expedite the cancellation of illegitimate Philippine birth certificates registered by foreign nationals, including those Chinese linked with Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators.

The proposed "Fraudulent Birth Certificate Cancellation Law" (House Bill 11117) follows the proliferation of fake Philippine birth certificates, which some foreigners use to obtain government-issued IDs in an attempt to evade the country's immigration laws and carry out illicit activities.

In July, the National Bureau of Investigation reported that at least 1,200 foreigners believed to be Chinese nationals have obtained spurious birth certificates through late birth registration in Davao Del Sur alone.

The figure, however, was five times higher than the initial report of 200 falsified birth certificates issued to Chinese nationals from 2018 to 2019 by the Local Civil Registry of Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur.

The proliferation of bogus birth certificates came to the surface following the arrest in July of a 21-year-old Chinese male who submitted a falsified birth certificate during an application for a Philippine passport also in Davao City.

Proponents of the bill are keen that these Chinese nationals securing the birth certificate are in cahoots with local officials. 

“These foreigners must have gotten aid from public officers from local civil registry offices to secure such falsified birth certificates for consideration,” the bill read.

Previously, lawmakers expressed concern that this not only posed a dire threat to the country’s national security but could also spark a wide range of criminal activities, such as identity theft and human trafficking, among others, that could taint the Philippines’ reputation and relations with other nations.

If enacted, a Special Committee on Cancellation of Fraudulent Birth Certificates would be created, which would be chaired by the Philippine Statistics Authority Registrar General, with members from the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Department of Justice, and the Office of the Solicitor General. 

The panel would be mandated to investigate complaints, subpoena evidence, and issue decisions on fraudulent birth certificates within 30 days of receiving evidence.

Complaints can be filed by any legal-age citizen or law enforcement agency and must include specific evidence, such as the name of the foreign national, the fraudulent birth certificate’s details, and the circumstances of its acquisition. 

The foreign national would have 15 days to respond to the complaint, after which the committee would conduct hearings and decide based on substantial evidence. 

Decisions would be immediately executory but could be appealed to the Office of the President, which must resolve the appeal within 30 days.

The bill also seeks to penalize local officials and private individuals involved in facilitating fraudulent registrations.

The proponents of the measure include panel chair Ace Barbers, and his co-chairs—Dan Fernandez, Bienvenido Abante Jr., and Joseph Stephen Paduano—and Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. and House Deputy Speaker David Suarez.

The proposed "Fraudulent Birth Certificate Cancellation Law" was the third bill crafted by the quad comm in response to its ongoing investigation into illegal POGOs and spurious documents purportedly used by Chinese nationals to unlawfully obtain land and set up businesses in the country as a front for their criminal acts.