House panel wants fake birth certificates probed, revoked faster

MANILA, Philippines — The House quad committee is pushing for a law to fast-track the cancellation of fraudulent birth certificates obtained by foreign nationals, particularly those involved in illegal activities like drug trafficking and online gambling.

On Wednesday, the committee heads—Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez, Abang Lingkod Rep. Joseph Paduano, and Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop, along with Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, filed the bill seeking to establish a special committee to investigate and cancel fake birth certificates within 30 days.

The proposed legislation is the third to emerge from the panel’s inquiry into alleged criminal activities linked to Philippine offshore gaming operators and the drug trade. It aims to counter the rising trend of foreign nationals illicitly acquiring Filipino citizenship to commit crimes.

READ: Gov’t blocks 1,600 birth certificates illegally obtained by foreigners

“Recent events have revealed that thousands of foreign nationals have secured Philippine birth certificates through fraudulent means. In Davao del Sur alone, more than 1,200 falsified birth certificates were issued by the local civil registrar as of July 2024,” the bill’s explanatory note read. “This sad state of affairs cannot be allowed to continue.”

Further damage

In passing the bill, the lawmakers said they were hoping to create an “expedited procedure to cancel any birth certificate fraudulently acquired by any foreign national [in] order to prevent them from inflicting further harm to our society.”

If enacted, the bill would create a special committee on the cancellation of fraudulent birth certificates, which would have the power to investigate complaints, subpoena evidence, and issue decisions on fraudulent birth certificates within 30 days of receiving evidence.

Members

This committee would be chaired by the Philippine Statistics Authority registrar general, with members from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Justice, and Office of the Solicitor General.

Any legal-age citizen or law enforcement agency can file a complaint with specific evidence, including the foreign national’s name, details of the fraudulent birth certificate, and its acquisition circumstances.

The accused foreign national has 15 days to respond, after which the committee conducts hearings and makes a final decision. The decision is immediately effective but can be appealed to the Office of the President within 30 days.

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

Under current processes, a fake birth certificate can only be canceled through a judicial order, which could take years.

The case of former Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, who is suspected of being a Chinese spy, is a stark example of this protracted process.