APO Production Unit starts probe of issuance of PH passports to foreigners

Philippine passports. (File photo by MARIANNE BERMUDEZ / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — The state-run APO Production Unit has begun its own investigation on the alleged issuance of Philippine passports to foreigners, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Cheloy Garafil told reporters on Monday.

APO is a government-owned and controlled corporation established in 1961 to provide printing services to the Philippine government.

“APO has already initiated an investigation to see what is really happening to those who were given passports that should not have been issued. We have done an investigation on our own. We would like to assure everyone,” said Garafil in an ambush interview.

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Garafil also recalled that APO assured during the Senate plenary debates on the proposed 2024 budget that the facilities for making Philippine passports were secure.

“[We are doing] everything we can do to make sure that there is no access to our printers and the security papers,” she said.

Senators previously expressed alarm over the alleged issuance of Philippine passports to Chinese ciitizens, calling it a national security issue.