1,200 fake birth certificates just 'tip of the iceberg'

Senators expressed alarm yesterday over the 1,200 foreigners believed to be Chinese nationals who obtained Philippine birth certificates through late birth registration in the Davao del Sur town of Sta.

- CECILLE SUERTE FELIPE

Cruz since 2016, saying this could be just “the tip of the iceberg.”

Senate President Francis Escudero urged the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to dig deeper into the issuance of fake birth certificates and locate those behind the illegal activities.

Escudero said the case of suspended Mayor Alice Guo of Bamban, Tarlac, who has a Philippine birth certificate even if evidence indicated that she is a Chinese national, was not isolated.

“I think that is only the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. The NBI should investigate further and find the real and other culprits behind this,” said Escudero. “I believe Guo is not the first and will certainly not be the last to fake a birth certificate.”