The House Committee on Population and Family Relations, chaired by Isabela Representative Ian Paul Dy, approved in principle House Bill 11117, also known as the “Fraudulent Birth Certificate Cancellation Law.”
Originally approved on Nov. 27 this year, the panel reconvened to reconsider the approval of HB 11117 as a stand-alone measure, since its previous approval was consolidated with other measures on the proposed “Philippine Civil Registry Act.”
Committee vice chairperson and Masbate Representative Olga Kho, who presided over the meeting, said the bill is now prioritized for plenary deliberation and possible enactment into law.
Kho expressed the pressing need to ensure and strengthen the reliability and integrity of the Philippine Civil Registry database to safeguard vital records, which are essential in measuring progress and planning government activities.
“We need the administrative cancellation to urgently address the erroneous problems on the Philippine Civil Registry.”
“With the current situation, when voluminous entries on late birth registration were spurious and the program of the PSA (Philippine Statistics Authority) was abused, we need the administrative cancellation to urgently address the erroneous problems on the Philippine Civil Registry,” the lady legislator explained.
Manila Rep. Benny Abante stressed securing Philippine birth certificates through fraudulent means facilitates involvement of foreigners in illegal activities.
“Kasi sa quadcom nakita namin ang napakaraming mga Chinese na nakakuha ng passport, and the only way for them to have an official passport would be that they would have officially legal certificates, birth certificates. Eh ‘di naman sila pinanganak dito, taga-China naman sila,” Abante pointed out.
The veteran legislator is hoping for the bill’s swift passage before the 19th Congress concludes.
“This is a very important bill that ought to be approved.”
“This is a very important bill that ought to be approved,” the seasoned lawmaker stressed.
Authors of the measure include Abante, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr., Deputy Speaker David Suarez, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez, Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop, Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Ty Pimentel and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro.
