NBI recommends complaint vs. registry officials over fake birth certificates

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Thursday said it has recommended filing a complaint against civil registry officials and others for their alleged involvement in the issuance of fraudulent birth certificates in North Cotabato.

According to the NBI, it found that foreign nationals, primarily Chinese individuals, were the primary beneficiaries of the scheme while local registry personnel reportedly received monetary compensation and other illicit benefits.

“Investigation revealed a sophisticated conspiracy involving local civil registrars, their staff, and a retired municipal civil registrar who acted as a private facilitator,” the NBI said in a statement.

“By using fictitious identities, these individuals obtained Filipino civil status, effectively exploiting the system to gain Filipino citizenship under false pretenses,” it later added.

The NBI said the investigation focused on irregularities within the Local Civil Registry Offices of Pikit and Aleosan in North Cotabato.

It found that the individuals supposedly bypassed legal protocols to process the late registration of certificates using fabricated documents.

Evidence also showed that the birth records were “ready-made,” which indicates they were processed without undergoing mandatory verification, according to the bureau. 

“The scale of the issue was highlighted by the PSA, which flagged over 50,000 potentially fraudulent birth records across more than 1,600 registry offices nationwide,” it said.

The NBI recommended filing for violations of the Civil Register Law, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees as well as falsification and perjury. — BM, GMA Integrated News