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Pinoy Abroad

DFA to run after sellers of endorsements for passport appointments


The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will run after entities who sell endorsements for passport appointments coming from government officials.

In an ambush interview, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Joel Montales said they have uncovered some government agencies who sell endorsements that would allow applicants to use courtesy lanes in applying for passports.

"We honor some endorsements from government agencies. Some, they falsify the endorsements, some, they get authentic endorsements but for a fee. Kumbaga, some people are selling endorsements from government offices," Montales said.

"We've uncovered some agencies. At the moment, we're not at liberty to say that because they are under investigation by NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) and CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group)," he added.

Montales said that based on investigations, the ranks of government officials who allow sale of endorsements or sell endorsements are directors or officials occupying high positions.

"Some are directors, some, they even occupy higher positions. Kasi minsan, posible rin hindi nila alam. In all honesty, they give endorsement, 'yun pala ibebenta," he said.

He, however, could not name officials who are involved in such transactions.

"Well, 'yung mga congressmen, senators and mayors... part of their duty 'yun to endorse their constituents who are in need of the services of the DFA. We don't take it against them, but we need to guard our docks na baka naman nagkakabentahan na," Montales said.

"This is under investigation and I don't want to comment on that. For now it's enough to say that some endorsement from government agencies are being sold," he added.

If proven guilty, the DFA will not hesitate to run after entities who sell passport appointments and endorsements, Montales said.

"We will go after them and we will file criminal cases against them. We don't know if we'll go after the applicant kasi minsan out of desperation, they resort to those things," he said.

"But so far naman, we've secured the cooperation of the applicants and they provided information and testimonies that would help us defeat these fraudulent cases," Morales added. —KBK, GMA News

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