Leaders of the House Quad Committee filed a bill to expedite the cancellation of birth certificates fraudulently obtained by foreign nationals involved in criminal activities such as drug trafficking and offenses tied to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
House Bill No. 11117, known as the “Fraudulent Birth Certificate Cancellation Law,” proposes an administrative process to replace the lengthy judicial procedure currently required to cancel fraudulent birth certificates.
“A birth certificate is the most fundamental document a Filipino citizen can have, and it opens doors to opportunities that are not available to foreigners,” Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, the bill’s lead sponsor, said.
The bill calls for the creation of a special committee, headed by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Registrar General, to investigate complaints and decide on cases within 30 days, with foreign nationals given 15 days to respond.
The committee would be empowered to issue subpoenas, hold hearings, and make decisions based on evidence, with rulings immediately executory, though appealable to the Office of the President.
Public officials or private individuals involved in facilitating fraudulent registrations would face penalties under the proposed law.
The bill is part of the Quad Committee’s broader legislative actions against criminal activities linked to POGOs, following the filing of HB 11043 (Civil Forfeiture Act) and HB 10987 (Anti-Offshore Gaming Operations Act).
The bill is authored by House Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr., Deputy Speaker Jay-Jay Suarez, Quad Committee chairpersons Robert Ace Barbers, Bienvenido Abante Jr., Dan Fernandez, and Joseph Stephen Paduano, alongside vice chairman Romeo Acop.
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