Senator Pia Cayetano, Chairperson of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, applauded the Office of the Solicitor General’s (OSG) “decisive step” to cancel fraudulently acquired Philippine birth certificates of foreigners.
“The OSG’s move directly addresses the alarming findings of our Blue Ribbon Committee hearings last March and August 2024, which revealed that Philippine citizenship is being sold, with some foreign nationals paying up to P300,000 for fraudulent government IDs,” Cayetano stated.
“Philippine citizenship is being sold, with some foreign nationals paying up to P300,000 for fraudulent government IDs.”
During the said hearings, a striking case in Sta. Cruz, Davao Del Sur was raised, wherein it was discovered that 54 out of 1,501 suspicious birth certificates issued between 2016 and 2023 belonged to individuals with foreign parents.
These documents showed identical penmanship and impossibly claimed that the same midwife attended births in various villages on the same days.
“The Committee hearings exposed systematic fraud in the local civil registration system, particularly in the issuance of birth certificates through late registration.”
According to the veteran legislator, the Committee hearings exposed systematic fraud in the local civil registration system, particularly in the issuance of birth certificates through late registration.
“Our investigation uncovered a disturbing pattern where foreign nationals, including those involved in illegal POGO operations, have exploited vulnerabilities in our civil registration system. This is not just about documentation – but also of our country’s national security.” The seasoned lawmaker explained.
“The cancellation of these fraudulent documents sends a clear message: Philippine citizenship is NOT for sale,” the lady senator stressed.
She also called for sustained coordination between government agencies.
“While we welcome this step, we need proactive and sustained cooperation between the Philippine Statistics Authority, Bureau of Immigration, Department of Foreign Affairs, and local government units, specifically their local civil registries, to prevent similar schemes in the future,” Cayetano concluded.
