'Fake Filipinos' prompt call for stricter birth certificate validation

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian on Wednesday called for the reform of the validation and processing of birth certificates following the discovery of illegally obtained birth documents in Davao del Sur.

The senator stressed the need for more “accountability” among issuing agencies.

“We will definitely reform the entire birth certificate process in our country. The process was designed to make it easier for our constituents, our own people, to access…to get birth certificates,” Gatchalian said in an interview with ANC Headstart. 

He added that the birth certificate procurement process, designed for the convenience of Filipino citizens, has been exploited by foreigners who can falsely claim Filipino identity.

The senator pointed out that local civil registrars hold significant power in issuing birth, death and marriage certificates, without needing verification from the mayor. 

This decentralization, while convenient, has led to vulnerabilities with reports of foreigners buying land and allowing them to run for public office, according to Gatchalian. 

“There are now news reports that a lot of foreigners are buying lands in some parts of our country. So this raises the question of whether this purchase is legitimate or is being done by fake Filipinos,” he said. 

When asked about the timeline for these reforms, Gatchalian said that the Senate urged the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to come up with administrative reforms. 

“They (PSA) don’t have to wait for a law to reform their process,” he said. 

On July 12, Gatchalian first bared that Chinese nationals illegally obtained Philippine birth certificates, passports and driver’s licenses for the price of P300,000. 

Citing a report from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), he said that 200 questionable birth certificates were issued to Chinese nationals from 2018 to 2019 in Davao del Sur. 

However, it was noted that the actual number of dubious birth certificates is around 1,200, according to NBI Director Jaime Santiago. 

The senators said that this incident might just be the “tip of the iceberg.”

Following the discovery of the questionable documents, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingo