1,600 fake birth certificates of foreign nationals blocked in the Philippines
The Philippine government has blocked more than 1,600 illegal birth certificates of foreigners in the country.
This comes amid a rise in fake birth certificates, which foreign nationals use to obtain legal documents, including passports.
Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate’s finance committee confirmed this during recent budget discussions.
According to her, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) flagged 1,627 birth certificates as fake after an investigation.
Out of the number she said, 18 were cancelled by the Office of the Solicitor General after endorsement.
“[A total of] 1,627 birth certificates of foreign nationals were blocked by the PSA after its investigation, finding the documents to be spurious. The names of foreign nationals were shared with the Bureau of Immigration, Department of Foreign Affairs, and [the] National Bureau of Immigration,” Poe was quoted.
The issue was raised by another Senator Risa Hontiveros who highlighted that some foreign nationals misuse late registration processes to get fake Filipino citizenship.
The proliferation of birth certificates has been a concern in the Philippines. In 2023 alone, over 300 fake documents were reportedly used by foreigners and Filipinos to apply for Philippine passports.
