Senator Raffy Tulfo questioned the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) apparent lack of vigilance and failure to timely file cases against erring employees of pertinent offices of the local civil registrar and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) who are in connivance with foreign nationals in the issuance of fake Philippine passports and birth certificates.
Tulfo, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Services, made the statement during a Senate hearing on Aug 27 inquiring on how dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo and relatives were able to reside and then leave the country surreptitiously.
Alice’s detained sister, Shiela Guo, was present during the said hearing.
The legislator stressed that aside from members of the Guo family, a lot of foreign nationals and illegal Chinese immigrants using fraudulent documents have previously been intercepted in Philippine borders.
Likewise, the lawmaker noted that during the previous hearings, evidence were established that Alice, Shiela and Wesley Guo became instant Filipino citizens through fraudulent means.
In 2023, reports also show that the BI was able to intercept around 17 Chinese nationals who entered and exited the country using Philippine passports.
“It is obvious that there is a clear and present danger to our national security.”
“Now it is obvious that there is a clear and present danger to our national security. Ilan pang Alice Guo ang mayroon sa ating bansa holding sensitive and important positions?” he asked.
“Antagal nang pinaguusapan nito and yet wala pang nakakasuhan at nako-convict.”
“May nakasuhan o na-convict na ba na mga taga PSA at local civil registrar’s office? Antagal nang pinag-uusapan nito and yet wala pang nakakasuhan at nako-convict,” Tulfo added.
He told the BI that they should not stop after making an interception but should make sure that a thorough investigation be made such that appropriate cases against these government officers who are working in cahoots with undocumented foreign nationals inside PSA and local civil registrar can be filed.
