- NBI XI looks into dubious documents issued to foreigners in Davao del Sur
THE NATIONAL Bureau of Investigation (NBI) XI is investigating over 1,200 cases of potentially fraudulent late birth registrations in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.
These cases, dating back to 2016, primarily involved individuals believed to be Chinese nationals.
“We received information about 1,200 late registrations,” said lawyer Arcelito Albao, the NBI XI director.
“We are still investigating whether these were issued to foreigners,” Albao told TIMES in an interview on Tuesday afternoon.
The NBI is also looking into reports that some of these individuals have criminal records in the Philippines and elsewhere.
According to Albao, Sta. Cruz’s Civil Registrar’s Office is known for its fast, but expensive, processing of late registrations.
This investigation follows the recent arrest of a 21-year-old Chinese national who used a fake birth certificate from Sta. Cruz to apply for a Philippine passport.
The suspect, using the alias Hengson Jabillez Limosnero, presented forged documents to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) office in Davao City.
The NBI’s probe has expanded nationwide, focusing on areas like Pampanga and Tarlac, known for their illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hubs. Mario Tizon, the Sta. Cruz civil registrar since 1994, has been suspended amid the investigation.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has expressed concern over the fraudulent activity’s potential national security threat and has called for a Senate investigation. He revealed reports of a P300,000 fee for obtaining a birth certificate, passport, and driver’s license using this scheme.
