Lawmaker seeks probe on 200 falsified Davao del Sur birth certificates

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian is seeking a Senate investigation into the issuance of about “200 falsified birth certificates” by the local civil registry of Santa Cruz town in Davao del Sur.

Gatchalian said the 200 fake certificates, allegedly issued for an average of P300,000 each, can be likened to the case of suspended Bamban town Mayor Alice Guo, who managed to secure a Philippine birth certificate and passport, and even ran and won in the May 2022 election.

“This could be 200 Alice Guos, which is very concerning,” Gatchalian said.

Citing a National Bureau of Investigation report that 200 falsified birth certificates were issued to Chinese nationals from 2018 to 2019 – all by the civil registry of Santa Cruz – Gatchalian said he would file a resolution seeking an investigation into the NBI-Davao report.

“Of all places, Santa Cruz in Davao del Sur gave the late registration birth certificate or fake birth certificate. Really, there is a syndicate within the PSA (Philippine Statistics Authority) or in Santa Cruz that fixes these certificates,” the lawmaker said in an interview with Senate reporters via Zoom.