DAVAO CITY (PIA)–A total of 1,200 certificates of late birth registration issued from the Local Civil Registry Office of Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur are being investigated by the National Bureau of Investigation XI
Archielito Albao, regional director of NBI-XI in a press briefing said the certificates of late birth registration are being volunteered by the Sta. Cruz municipal government from 2016 to 2021.
He said the NBI would know if the documents were issued to foreign nationals.
Albao said the Sta. Cruz Civil Registrar’s Office is allegedly known for the fast processing of documents which comes with a high price.
The probe on the late certificate of live birth happened after the arrest of a Chinese national who was applying for a passport at the Department of Foreign Affairs Office in Davao City.
The 21-year old Chinese national carried the name of Hengzon Jabiles Limosnero when he presented his documents to the DFA-Davao City.
Albao said Mayor Jose Nelson Sala of Sta. Cruz already relieved the Civil Registrar of the municipality who was reported to have served the community since 1994.
He said they had discovered two hundred certificates of late birth registration last week.
“Only on Monday this week, we received 1,200 spurious certificates of late birth registration from the Sta. Cruz Civil Registry Office. This time, we are looking into these birth certificates. Mayor Jose Nelson “Tata” Sala is very cooperative,” he said.
Albao said they are also looking into the possible involvement of fixers for having these certificates.
He said these fixers are not from Davao del Sur, because the barangay chairpersons issued certification that no one by these names exist in the barangays.
“There are fixers coming from Manila and Pampanga based on our investigation. Majority of these are from Luzon,” Albao said.
Albao warned that if these people succeed in their application of late birth registration, they can buy properties, own cars and businesses.
“We are confident to believe that this was being done a long time ago. It is very simple, they want to be Filipino nationals. Once they register to have a Filipino birth certificate, they will be called Filipino nationals. From that point, they can now live in this country, they can have passports, they can have identification anywhere, they can open a bank account, can possess properties and own a vehicle,” he said.
Albao said this scheme has money involved wherein Chinese nationals transact business with that local civil registry office of Sta. Cruz.
He said the NBI is conducting an evaluation of who can possibly be involved.
“As far as the NBI is concerned, we have seen those who affixed their signature to the documents as the ones involved,” Albao said.
He said they are also checking other local civil registrar’s offices in Davao Region who are involved in this scheme. (JSGD-Davao del Sur)
