Last Tuesday, July 16th, senators urged state agencies to thoroughly investigate the increasing number of “Alice Guos” cases, where Chinese nationals obtained Filipino citizenship using fake birth certificates. “It goes to show that the policy on the late registration of birth has really been abused,” Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian told reporters.
Recently, Sen. Gatchalian disclosed that foreigners were paying up to PHP 300,000 for falsified birth certificates and government ID cards. He also noted similarities to the case of Bamban’s suspended mayor, Alice Guo.
Guo’s citizenship remains under scrutiny, with accusations of being a Chinese spy named Guo Hua Ping. Guo has denied the allegations and claimed innocence before going into hiding.
Also Read: Senator Risa Hontiveros Calls Out Alice Guo on Facebook Post
“I think that is only the ‘tip of the iceberg,’ so to speak,” Senate President Francis Escudero stated. “I believe Guo is not the first and will certainly not be the last to fake a birth certificate.” Escudero also added that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) thoroughly investigates those responsible for fabricating these documents.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago has disclosed that up to 1,200 “Alice Guos” cases have been confirmed. The number was six times bigger than the bureau’s initial information, with their original estimates being around 2000 Chinese citizens illegally becoming Filipinos.
Senator Risa Hontiveros stated that the Santa Cruz civil registry office personnel should be accountable for providing fake birth certificates since 2016. She emphasized the importance of cracking down on those responsible for this and reiterated that Filipino citizenship is not a commodity and that it poses a threat.
Hontiveros also added that these individuals can use their fake identities to form corporations or even run for public office. She emphasized that the Senate would monitor this alarming case.
The NBI has announced plans to broaden its investigations to include Pampanga and Tarlac. These are the places where they conducted raids on Illegal Philippine offshore gaming hubs.
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