A House leader welcomed the filing of criminal charges against four employees of the Davao City Civil Registrar’s Office over the alleged issuance of fraudulent birth certificates for Chinese nationals.

According to House Assistant Majority Leader Zia Alonto Adiong of Lanao del Sur, this could be part of a broader scheme that must be investigated nationwide.

“While this is a good first step, we must not stop with just one office. This kind of syndicate work could not have thrived without a broader network. We should look for similar operations in other parts of the country, especially during the Duterte administration when Chinese influence grew unchecked,” Adiong said.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) earlier filed falsification and cybercrime charges against four civil registrar employees in Davao City, after an investigation found they were linked to the issuance of fake birth records to Chinese nationals who assumed Filipino identities.

The forged documents were used to secure passports, enabling these individuals to enter and work in the country legally.

“Any Filipino who helps a foreign national – especially someone from a country aggressively encroaching on our territory – commit fraud should be ashamed of themselves. This isn’t just a case of corruption. This is treasonous behavior,” Adiong added.

Adiong said the scandal highlights the tension between “Team Pilipinas and Team China,” adding that Filipinos who side with foreign interests at the expense of national security should be exposed and prosecuted.

“Team Pilipinas is fighting to protect our sovereignty, our identity, and our future. Team China is playing the long game, trying to infiltrate our systems one fake birth certificate at a time. Anyone helping them is not neutral – they are an active part of the problem,” he said.

The House leader called on the Department of Justice, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to conduct a thorough review of all birth records issued in the last 10 years in areas where high volumes of Chinese migrants have been reported.

“Look at other local civil registrar offices. Look at immigration records. Look at who’s getting passports under fake names. This may just be the tip of the iceberg,” Adiong warned.

He also urged the Bureau of Immigration to cross-check alien employment permits and investor visas against possible fraudulent identities.

He added that efforts to nationalize industries, protect Philippine jobs and secure digital identity systems will be meaningless “if foreign nationals can simply buy their way into becoming Filipinos.”

He also noted the geopolitical implications of allowing Chinese nationals to embed themselves in Philippine systems through fake identities, calling it a “national security red flag.”

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Jester P. Manalastas