DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The number of spurious birth certificates registered in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, has dramatically increased to 1,501, up from the previously reported 102 cases.
This raises serious questions about the integrity of the local civil registry system.
Jose Nelson Sala, the municipal mayor, testified before the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, stating, “What is spurious is that, of all entries, only one hilot (trained midwife) performed the births, and only one signature appears.
Alarmingly, the certificates of late registration were recorded on the same day the children were supposedly born.
Mayor Sala, who has called for a comprehensive investigation, further explained that the treasury office did not receive any payments for the registration of these births.
During the hearing, Senator Pia Cayetano noted that previous Senate proceedings suggested that Filipino citizenship could be bought, with reports indicating that Chinese nationals were purchasing their citizenship for as much as P300,000.
The situation raises serious questions about the validity of the Philippine passports held by several foreigners.
Cayetano said these passports were reportedly issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) based on confirmed birth certificates that were verified and deemed valid through security checks.
However, inconsistencies in the entries, such as those found in the birth certificate of Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, highlight the issues at hand.
Earlier, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) revealed that thousands of security papers had gone missing, compounding the problem.
During the Senate committee hearing, Jonathan Balite, assistant regional director of the National Bureau of Investigation XI, revealed that they have identified one fixer involved in the scheme.
According to Balite, investigations revealed that Chinese nationals conspired with public officials and private individuals to facilitate the fraudulent registrations.
Initially, the PSA referred only 102 fraudulent documents to the NBI, but this number has since surged to 1,200 as investigations progressed.
Mayor Sala expressed his commitment to overseeing the investigation, hopeful that responsible individuals would be charged in court for their involvement.
Furthermore, Sala highlighted that the Local Civil Registry Office operates independently and coordinates only with the PSA.
When Senator Win Gatchalian inquired why so many spurious documents were registered in Sta. Cruz, and Sala revealed that personnel in the local registry office have connections, including a relative at the PSA and a sibling employed at a law firm.
The ongoing investigation aims to uncover the full extent of the fraudulent activities and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
The post Spurious birth certificates involving Chinese Nationals in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur reach 1,500 appeared first on NewsLine Philippines.
Spurious birth certificates involving Chinese Nationals in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur reach 1,500
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