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A Chinese national who was trying to apply for a Philippine passport using a fake birth certificate was apprehended Tuesday.

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20180820-ph-passport-GCS-0488.jpg

Hernel Tocmo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none"> A Chinese national who was trying to apply for a Philippine passport using a fake birth certificate was apprehended Tuesday.</span></div><div><span>Hengson Lemosnero, originally identified by the National Bureau of Investigation in the Southeastern Mindanao Region (NBI-SEMRO) as Hanlin Qiu, was apprehended at the Department of Foreign Affairs office in Ecoland, Davao City.</span></div><div><span>He is one of the 200 Chinese nationals who acquired falsified birth certificates from the municipal civil registry of Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.</span></div><style type="text/css" id="isPasted">
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</style><p><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">NBI SEMRO director Atty. Archie </span>Albao said the DFA informed them when they noticed that the documents presented by the 21-year old Chinese man were questionable. </p><p>&quot;May Chinese national na nag-apply for Philippine passport. So we went there, and after verification, we really found out nga Chinese national siya. So we effect the arrest and [brought] him here to our office,&quot; Albao said.</p><style type="text/css" id="isPasted">
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</style><p>Based on their investigation, the arrested individual hails from <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Fujian, China and </span>arrived in Davao City when he was about 9 or 10 years old.</p><style type="text/css" id="isPasted">
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</style><p>Lemosnero or Qiu is currently studying college in Davao City, according to reports.</p><p>He is detained at the NBI SEMRO detention facility since Tuesday as authorities will file charges against him for violating the passport law, falsification of public documents, perjury, concealing true name, and using fictitious name.</p><p>&quot;Hindi pa namin ma-verify if this is a case of identity theft, but insofar as the documents are concerned, ito yung mga ginamit na pangalan,&quot; Albao said.</p><p>The NBI will also verify the identity of the said individual at the Bureau of Immigration. </p><p>Albao said they found out that the arrested foreigner changed his name when he applied for a birth certificate through late registration in a local civil registry in Sta. Cruz town in Davao del Sur.</p><p>200 CHINESE NATIONALS WITH FAKE PH BIRTH CERTIFICATES</p><p>NBI SEMRO said at least 200 Chinese nationals were able to acquire falsified birth certificates from the municipal civil registry of Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.</p><style type="text/css" id="isPasted">
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</style><p>Albao said that the issuance of fake birth certificates occurred from 2018 to 2019, with applicants mostly male and mostly from Luzon. Some who applied are connected with Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO).</p><p>The Sta. Cruz local government is already aware of the issue, and created a fact-finding committee to investigate the issuance of fake birth certificates to Chinese nationals when the Senate began its inquiry on the matter.</p><p>Municipal administrator OJ Martel said their preliminary findings confirmed the issuance of falsified birth certificates, prompting them to remove the head of the local civil registry as well as the frontliners involved in the illegal activity.</p><p>&quot;We are exercising due process din. Right now, he is currently reassigned to another unit so that he cannot influence the ongoing investigation that we are conducting and again exercising due process. We are giving him time to answer whatever findings the committee will be finding,&quot; he told ABS-CBN News.</p><p>He also said that they continue to review the birth certificates issued to determine how many personalities were issued falsified government documents.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/6/20/senate-probe-on-fake-birth-certificates-late-birth-registration-sought-1148" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Senate probe on fake birth certificates, late birth registration sought</a></div><p>Martel said they will cooperate in the investigation and the local government has now implemented strict measures to avoid further incidents.</p><p>&quot;Na-focus din kami sa LCR. Dapat they should be reviewing the process from the start to the end of the transaction alam na nila. Medyo improved na rin kasi medyo strict na sila when it comes to application kasi ini-interview na mismo ng officer in charge ng LCR yung naga-apply,&quot; he said.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JCK1R6Pwv0c?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>A Chinese national who was trying to apply for a Philippine passport using a fake birth certificate was apprehended Tuesday.</p>

Chinese national with fake birth certificate caught applying for PH passport in Davao City

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Chinese national with fake birth certificate caught applying for PH passport in Davao City

Hernel Tocmo,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 11, 2024 04:57 PM PHT

Read More:

Davao City

Davao del Sur

Chinese nationals

POGO

birth certificate

DFA

Department of Foreign Affairs

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