Records to prove Asi no Fil-sham

Lawyers of Asi Taulava stressed yesterday they have sufficient documents to prove the cage star is a legitimate Filipino and urged government agencies to file a case in proper court to end the controversy once and for all.

"That’s been our position right after the Senate report came out. The NBI or any other party can file a case in court and we would welcome that to finally settle this issue," said lawyer Gary de Jesus amid report the NBI is to file falsification charges against Taulava after receiving a document from the United States allegedly proving the cager is a "Fil-sham."

De Jesus said they have provided the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) documents that would refute the information the NBI received from the US Homeland Security.

De Jesus said it was certified by the Tongan Registrar of Birth, Death and Marriages and affirmed by the Tongan Supreme Court that there was a "clerical error" on Taulava’s birth certificate which does not reflect the real place of birth of Taulava’s mother.

The documents, presented by De Jesus, stated that it "is a matter of practice here in Tongan in the issuance of birth certificates to state the place of birth of a wife of a Tongan as the same as that of her husband. The same is true in this case. Likewise, Vaotu’u was also the residence of the Taulava family at the time. Hence, the erroneous information of Vautu’s as the place of birth of Pauline Hernandez Mateaki Taulava who is the mother of child Pauliase M. Taulava. "

De Jesus also said they have gone to Samar and found a certain Lydia Medici, 74, claiming a certain Ana Hernandez was a member of their household. In a video footage, Medici said Ana Hernandez was staying with them when she conceived Pauline Hernandez. -- Nelson Beltran