Jamaine Punzalan

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ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17730453727811773045368087.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Civil registry documents. ABS-CBN News/File</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Philippine Statistics Authority said Monday it was looking at some 50,000 records of suspected foreign nationals for potential fraud. </p><p>This was unearthed during an inquiry of the Senate Committee on Justice on the birth records of mining executive<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/15/businessman-joseph-sy-faces-senate-hearing-amid-accusations-of-falsifying-filipino-citizenship-1500"> Joseph Sy, </a>alleged to be Chinese national who supposedly falsified his Filipino citizenship. </p><p>Lawyer Eliezer Ambatali, Director III of the PSA Legal Service said they began auditing records after the case of <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/29/court-alice-guo-is-chinese-term-as-bamban-mayor-is-void-1114">Alice Guo</a> or Guo Hua Ping came to light. The dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor was found to have faked her birth certificate.</p><p>“We ran data analytics. It resulted to a potential 50,000, around 50,000 records that are suspicious of having been obtained through fraudulent means,&quot; Ambatali said. </p><p>“Merong mga nag-proceed na mga around 1,000 na investigation na in-depth investigation. But then again, hindi rin lahat ng ito ay matatawag din na fraudulent. &quot;</p><p>The PSA has implemented a more stringent process for delayed birth registration, with mandatory requirements including registration in the national ID system and submission of photos and the records of parents.</p><div><iframe width="780" height="439" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v0E-RUqEVJE" title="LIVE: Senate holds hearing on the case of &#x27;Alice Guo 2.0&#x27; Joseph Sy | ABS-CBN News" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><strong>FRAUDULENT BIRTH CERTIFICATES </strong></div><p>Ambatali also noted that the PSA had flagged 1,471 fraudulent birth certificates, mostly in Davao de Oro, Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Metro Manila, Bulacan, La Union, and the Bangsamoro. </p><p>These involved mostly Chinese nationals and some Vietnamese, and have been endorsed to the Office of the Solicitor General for case buildup. </p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s mostly in Mindanao, some parts of BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) also,” Ambatali said.</p><p>&quot;Kapag mag-i-endorse po kami kasi sa OSG, we make sure that the relevant documents for the case build up is already there so that they can start their case build up.&quot;</p><p>Ambatali said the PSA had notified concerned local officials of their findings. </p><p>&quot;Some of the [local] chief executives already said that they will be filing administrative cases in some of the cases,&quot; Ambatali said, saying these were in Lanao del Norte and Cotabato.</p><p>Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Investigation has referred cases involving 102 Chinese nationals to the Ombudsman regarding the fraudulent birth certificates from 2016 to 2024 in Davao de Oro, agent Geraldo de Luna told the panel. </p><p>He said the local civil registrar and the clerks of Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur were the subjects of the referral for the violation of law on registration of civil status and the law against fraud and falsification of public documents.</p><div><strong>— Report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News </strong></div><div><br style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"/></div><div><iframe width="887" height="499" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yymJAybpdNM" title="&#x27;Alice Guo 2.0&#x27;: Mining exec Joseph Sy faces Senate probe on falsified citizenship | ANC" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>The Philippine Statistics Authority said Monday it was looking at some 50,000 records of suspected foreign nationals for potential fraud.</p>

The Philippine Statistics Authority said Monday it was looking at some 50,000 records of suspected foreign nationals for potential fraud.

PSA reviewing up to 50,000 records of foreign nationals for fraud

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PSA reviewing up to 50,000 records of foreign nationals for fraud

ABS-CBN News

Published March 09, 2026 04:42 PM PHT

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PSA

birth ceritificates

late birth registration

Josephy Sy

Alice Guo

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