Philippine ePassport secure – DFA

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) yesterday assured the public that the country’s ePassport system is secured amid reports that some Chinese tourists are using Philippine passports.

“The Department wishes to reiterate that the Philippine ePassport system remains secure and its frontline consular personnel are vigilant when it comes to detecting attempts by non-Filipinos to obtain a Phl passport,” it said Friday night.

The DFA issued the statement after Sen. Risa Hontiveros revealed at a recent Senate committee hearing that travel agencies offer Philippine passports and birth certificates to Chinese nationals entering the country.

But the agency said it promptly looked into, in cooperation with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), all the cases of foreign nationals who attempt or obtained Philippine passports using breeder documents.

“As of the moment, the DFA has yet to receive any official report from the BI (Bureau of Immigration) regarding claims that the latter has encountered Chinese nationals using authentic Philippine passports,” it added.

The DFA also said it is working closely with the BI to ensure only individuals carrying authentic passports are allowed to enter and exit the country.

“Existing protocols ensure that the BI or other government agencies that detect any foreign national holding a Philippine passport are to immediately confiscate the passport and coordinate with the DFA on the matter,” it pointed out.

To further strengthen the campaign against fraudulent passports, the DFA said it has “reconstituted” the inter-agency committee against passport irregularities, which includes the Department of Justice, Department of the Interior and Local Government, BI, NBI and the Philippine National Police, among others. – With Janvic Mateo