According to Senate wants fraudulent PH passports probed | Inquirer News, in an effort to find the people responsible for the phony issuing of Philippine passports and other official documents to Chinese nationals and other foreigners, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri requested on November 13 the assistance of the government's intelligence services.
The technique, which reportedly implicated corrupt government officials, would undermine national security, Zubiri informed officials of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (Nica) and the National Security Council (NSC) during the resumption of the Senate plenary budget deliberations.
Sen. Ronald dela Rosa brought up the issue for the first time during last week's discussions on the Department of Foreign Affairs' (DFA) budget proposal, and Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri stated that the National Bureau of Investigation was looking into it on its own.
According to Senate wants fraudulent PH passports probed | Inquirer News, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) claims that the international applicants for Philippine passports had provided valid birth certificates from the Philippine Statistics Authority.
As per the Senate President's statement, legislation ought to be submitted to enforce more severe consequences for those who offer foreigners documents that belong solely to Filipino nationals.
The NSC and Nica budget recommendations were supported by Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, who stated that the officers of the two intelligence agencies have committed to cooperating with the probe.
Zubiri's worries were acknowledged by Senator Risa Hontiveros, according to Senate wants fraudulent PH passports probed | Inquirer News, who also mentioned that Chinese nationals employed by Philippine offshore gaming companies (Pogos) were among those who had obtained legitimate identity cards.
According to Senate wants fraudulent PH passports probed | Inquirer News, amidst the recent searches by police in their hubs in Metro Manila, the opposition senator also issued a warning, stating that Pogos were already moving to the countryside.
