27 Mayo 2024, Lunes
Happy 48th Anniversary Mariveles Baptist Church, Mariveles, Bataan
City of Makati, France in June
supports World Press Freedom Day, May 3
Register now and vote in midterm polls
supports International Nurses’ Day
happy Birthday Andrea Mae Sebugan, more birthdays to come
Aspirants file your certificate of candidacy on October 1-8,2024
Substitute candidates must be with same surname and political party
Partylist must file Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance
supports May, Cardiac Illness Prevention Month
No to Divorce!!!
Get well soon Nanay Angelita Santiago-Lopez
PM for any hospital discharge problem
PSA flags irregularities in Guo’s birth certificate
By Nidz Godino
“We can believe that there are several irregularities in this birth certificate,” lawyer Eliezer Ambatali, director of Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) legal service. confirmed they found several discrepancies in birth certificate of Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, including absence of any government record that proves her mother’s existence and her parents’ marriage.
During Senate women committee hearing, Sen. Loren Legarda also flagged possibility that based on Guo’s case, operations of so-called “syndicate” that allowed dozens of foreigners obtain Philippine passports using fake birth certificates, being probed by blue ribbon committee, is “all rooted in PSA.”
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, chair of Senate women committee, said during hearing that no existing PSA documents prove marriage and identity of parents listed in her birth certificate: Angelito Guo and Amelia Leal.
While Guo’s birth certificate states that her father’s nationality was Filipino, Guo herself said her father was Chinese and Chinese passport holder.
Based on these details, PSA said there is “high possibility” that Guo’s father, person who provided information used to belatedly register Guo’s birth provided false information.
Based on their fact-finding investigation, PSA Assistant National Statistician Marizza Grande said Guo’s mother, Amelia Leal, “is not existing” as she does not have any birth, marriage or death certificate.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian asked Ambatali if it is possible that Amelia Leal is not real person, PSA official answered affirmative.
With three “critical irregularities” marring Guo’s birth certificate, namely her parents’ marriage, her father’s nationality and her mother’s identity, Gatchalian clarified whether Bamban mayor’s birth certificate could still be used as primary document to obtain other IDs and records.
“Birth certificate that is registered may be used as basis for other documents, but it is not absolute basis for existence of a person,” Ambatali said.
PSA official explained case can be filed to cancel individual’s birth certificate if it does not meet minimum requirements needed to declare birth certificate as valid.
PSA’s investigation found Guo’s birth did not have any supporting documents except for “negative certification” that basically proves Guo does not have any record prior to her birth.
Guo’s birth certificate appeared to be purely based on information provided by her father, Gatchalian pointed out.
“It appears there is an irregularity in registration because there are no supporting documents,” Grande said.
Citing PSA records, Grande added contrary to Guo’s earlier testimony that she is only child, certain “Shiela Leal Guo” and “Seimen Leal Guo” also listed Amelia and Angelito as their parents.
PSA also found that in total, Amelia and Angelito had four children, two of which are registered in Tarlac City, while other two are registered in Caloocan City.
Gatchalian said irregularities in Guo’s birth certificate points to even more evidence of how non-Filipinos have abused PSA’s late birth registration policy to obtain government documents, findings that were previously established by powerful blue ribbon committee.
Besides endorsing the case to Office of Solicitor General for filing of petition to cancel documents, PSA may also block birth certificate to prevent it from being used in official transactions.
Ambatali said PSA revised its guidelines on registration of late births in October 2021 after receiving several reports of inividuals “abusing delayed registration to get legal identity.”
Legarda, who flagged issue of foreigners obtaining real Philippine passports during last year’s budget hearing, said that problem proves that “syndicate” in government is aiding the practice.
“If there is syndicate in government agencies… for sure there is, because how will you obtain birth certificate and authentic passport except through syndicates working in government?” Legarda said.
She said that not only are non-Filipinos competing with legitimate Filipino citizens in governments’ financial aid programs, but they can also run for public office.
“If they can fake their birth certificate, what more for other IDs emanating from that?” Legarda also said.
ISKUP! 