MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Sunday said it will tighten its screening of foreigners claiming they are married to Filipinos after some reportedly entered the country using fake marriage certificates.
In a statement, BI said two South Koreans were denied entry at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport last August 17 after they presented scanned copies of marriage certificates which turned out to be fraudulent.
BI port operations division acting chief Grifton Medina said officers found out that one has not been to the Philippines while the other one was out of the country on the date of his supposed marriage to a Filipina.
“I have ordered our frontline officers at the ports to be doubly strict in screening foreigners alleging that they are married to Filipinos or have Filipino children here. It is not enough that they have entry visas, marriage and birth certificates in their possession,” BI commissioner Jaime Morente said, as quoted in the statement.
The government recently revised its restrictions on the entry of foreign nationals, exempting those who are spouses of Filipinos.
Also exempted are those who have minor Filipino children or children with special needs, regardless of age, in the Philippines.