Sen. Hontiveros backs OSG move to cancel fake birth certificates of foreigners

Senator Risa Hontiveros supports the Office of the Solicitor General's (OSG) move to cancel birth certificates fraudulently acquired by foreigners.

The OSG, led by Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra, will also seek to forfeit illegally acquired real properties and other assets of foreigners.

Guevarra stated that thousands of cases involving fraudulent birth certificates remain and the OSG aims to cancel them.

This initiative follows the OSG's petition to cancel the birth certificate of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, whose identical fingerprints were confirmed with Chinese citizen Guo Hua Ping.

The issue gained prominence following Guo's case, revealing a pattern of foreigners forging Philippine birth certificates to assume Filipino identities.

Several senators, including Sherwin Gatchalian and Joel Villanueva, welcomed the government's plan, linking it to the ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

Gatchalian noted that fraudulent birth certificates allowed foreigners to become instant Filipinos, buy properties, and start businesses without naturalization.

Villanueva highlighted that the Alice Guo case exposed the extent of foreign nationals illegally acquiring Philippine citizenship, passports, and IDs.