The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed charges against several public officials and private individuals allegedly involved in issuing fraudulent birth certificates to foreign nationals in Cotabato.

NBI said the investigation conducted together with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) focused on what it described as a coordinated scheme and systemic irregularities within the Local Civil Registry Offices (LCRO) of Pikit and Aleosan towns.

Based on investigation, local civil registrars, their staff, and a retired municipal civil registrar who reportedly acted as a private facilitator allegedly conspired to bypass legal protocols to process the late registration of Certificates of Live Birth (COLB) using falsified and fabricated supporting documents.

NBI said foreign nationals, particularly Chinese, were the primary beneficiaries of the scheme, based on the evidence obtained by authorities.

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

NBI added that the evidence also showed that many of the birth records were “ready-made,” which means that they were processed and issued without undergoing the mandatory verification procedures.

NBI also said that local registry personnel allegedly received money and other illicit benefits in exchange for facilitating the unlawful registrations.

“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,” NBI said.

“The municipalities of Pikit and Aleosan were specifically identified as high-risk areas, leading to the NBI’s intensive and successful operation in the region,” NBI added.

NBI-Central Mindanao Regional Office (NBI-CEMRO) has recommended the filing of charges against the suspects for alleged violations of the Civil Register Law (RA 3753), Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019), and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (RA 6713).

The suspects will also face charges for falsification of public documents and perjury under the Revised Penal Code.