Fraudulent birth certificate cancellation law okayed

Fraudulent birth certificate cancellation law okayed | Daily Tribune

The House Committee on Population and Family Relations approved on Wednesday a proposed law that would expedite the cancellation of birth certificates fraudulently obtained by foreign nationals, primarily Chinese linked to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO).

House leaders crafted the proposed Fraudulent Birth Certificate Cancellation Law, or House Bill 11117, following the quad committee’s investigation that found foreigners, particularly Chinese, made use of fictitious Philippine birth certificates to obtain government-issued IDs to circumvent the country’s immigration laws and carry out illicit activities, such as drug dealing and POGOs, among others.

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

The figure was six 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 proposed law seeks to penalize public officials and private individuals involved in facilitating fraudulent registrations. Proponents of the bill pointed out that the Chinese nationals securing birth certificates are in cahoots with local officials.

The bill also aims to establish a streamlined administrative process to preserve the integrity of Filipino citizenship and prevent abuses of the system.

In an interview, Quadcomm co-chair Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. expressed confidence the bill will hurdle the 19th Congress before its adjournment in June.

He said the measure would finally put an end to the fraudulent schemes granting foreigners access to opportunities reserved solely for Filipinos and facilitating illegal activities.

“At the Quadcomm, we saw many Chinese who got their [Philippine] passports, and the only way for them to get an official passport was to get officially legal certificates, birth certificates. Well, they weren’t born here, they’re from China,” Abante said.

Legislators said the fraudulent documents allow foreign nationals to engage in illegal activities such as drug trafficking and money laundering, posing a serious threat to national security.

The proponents said the bill will safeguard the Philippines’ legal and social systems and it was long overdue.