By Benjamin Pulta
MANILA – The National Bureau of Investigation has filed formal charges against several public officials and private individuals involved in a coordinated scheme to issue fraudulent birth certificates for Chinese nationals in two North Cotabato towns.
In a statement on Thursday, the NBI said its Central Mindanao Regional Office (CEMRO), in close coordination with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), has conducted an investigation focusing on systemic irregularities within the Local Civil Registry Offices of Pikit and Aleosan, North Cotabato.
The NBI said a conspiracy involved local civil registrars, their staff, and a retired municipal civil registrar who acted as a private facilitator.
“These individuals allegedly bypassed legal protocols to process the late registration of Certificates of Live Birth (COLB) using falsified and fabricated supporting documents,” the statement read.
“Evidence gathered by the NBI-CEMRO indicates that foreign nationals, primarily of Chinese origin, were the primary beneficiaries of this scheme. By using fictitious identities, these individuals obtained Filipino civil status, effectively exploiting the system to gain Filipino citizenship under false pretenses.”
The PSA has flagged over 50,000 potentially fraudulent birth records across more than 1,600 registry offices nationwide.
The municipalities of Pikit and Aleosan were specifically identified as high-risk areas, leading to the NBI’s intensive and successful operation in the region.
The NBI-CEMRO has recommended the filing of criminal charges for violations of Republic Act 3753 (the Civil Register Law), Republic Act 3019 (the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act), and Republic Act 6713 (the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees).
Additionally, the involved parties face charges for the falsification of public documents and perjury under the Revised Penal Code. (PNA)
