Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on Thursday urged authorities to run after a syndicate believed to be assisting foreign nationals in getting the identities of dead persons to secure government-issued identification cards in the country.
Ejercito appealed to the Philippine National Police (PNP) to step up its operations against these criminal activities, adding these foreigners connived with syndicates in order to get the documents.
“PNP, please take note of that. We will confirm pero alam ko na nangyayari ‘to (I know this is happening). Marami ng mga (A lot of) foreign nationals, in particular, mainland Chinese, na pumasok dito (that have entered the country), who are using identities of dead persons so that they can avail of rights and be considered as Filipino citizens,” Ejercito said during the hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs
Fortunato Manahan Jr., OIC deputy commissioner at the Bureau of Immigration (BI), confirmed they have deported a number of foreign nationals for using fraudulent passports, birth certificates, and marriage certificates.
“May mga cases and incidents po kaming naiintercept sa airports and sa community. Napapa deport po namin ang mga ‘yon (We have intercepted cases and incidents at airports and in the community. We have deported them),” he said.
Ejercito had earlier filed Senate Resolution No. 194, which seeks to direct the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs to conduct a probe on these “alarming” cases of kidnapping, abduction, and disappearances, especially those against women, Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) workers, and Filipino-Chinese individuals.
The said resolution highlighted the alleged kidnapping of a Chinese national in broad daylight along the Skyway elevated highway and the documented torture of a male victim whose ear was cut off.
“We have to verify the authenticity of these videos so that we can attack the problems already head on and not cause panic sa ating mga mamamayan at (to our fellow Filipinos and) business sector,” he added.
Senators Grace Poe and Imee Marcos also had previously filed similar resolutions.
Ejercito also revealed that several intelligence reports indicate the presence of Cambodian-Chinese criminal syndicates in the country.
He said the national government risks losing the confidence of investors and the rest of the business sector if the ongoing spate of kidnappings and torture is not addressed. (PNA)