Senate probe sought on foreigners using fake papers to pose as Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines — A resolution seeking to investigate the national security implications of foreigners using falsified documents to pose as Filipinos has been filed in the Senate.

Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros filed her Senate Resolution No. 1001 after an alleged spike of Chinese students using “questionable entry credentials” in Cagayan.

According to Hontiveros, it is only normal for the Philippine government to be alarmed by this reported influx, especially amid China’s heightened aggression in the West Philippine Sea.

“Siguro naman hindi masama magduda (Maybe it is not wrong to have doubts about this). I have led countless Senate inquiries that revealed how foreigners not only abuse our immigration processes, but also use fake documents to obtain birth certificates and Philippine passports. It is only natural that we look into if this trend is, in any way, related to Chinese harassment in the West Philippine Sea,” Hontiveros said in a statement on Tuesday.

“The Philippines is always open to young people from all over the world who want to study in our schools. It builds dialogue and global exchanges. Pero ibang usapan pag peke ang papeles at cover lang pala ang pag-enrol sa ating mga paaralan,” she added.

(But it’s a different story if these students are using fake documents in order to enroll in our schools just as a cover for their true intentions.)

Earlier, Cagayan 3rd District Representative Joseph Lara said he received reports that fixers were charging “foreign students” at least P1 million to enter Cagayan. This did not sit well with Hontiveros who argued that no one should treat Philippine identity as “buy or sell goods.”

READ: Why influx of Sino students in Cagayan Valley? Solons ask

“The Philippines is not for sale. Sa dami ng mga report tungkol sa mga black market na ito, magtataka ka talaga kung may kinalaman ba ito sa ating pambansang seguridad. Kailangan maliwanagan tayo kung may papel dito ang mismong gobyerno ng Beijing,” Hontiveros said.

(With many reports regarding this alleged black market, we would really wonder if it affects our national security. We need to be enlightened if the government of Beijing has a role in this.)

Apart from the alleged influx of Chinese students in Cagayan, Hontiveros likewise mentioned in her resolution the April 5 incident where agents of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the National Bureau of Investigation questioned residents of Multinational Village in Parañaque about the presence of a large group of foreign nationals within the subdivision.

The foreigners were allegedly observed doing military formations and jogging around the subdivision while wearing black athletic attire, sporting uniform, and military haircuts.

For Hontiveros, there is a need for the Senate committee on national defense to investigate what she called “disturbing patterns.”

READ: Calls grow to probe Chinese influx as national security issue