MANILA, Philippines — Foreigners overstaying in the country have been resorting to using illegally acquired Philippine passports, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco disclosed yesterday.
In a statement, Tansingco said the number of counterfeit passports the bureau has intercepted is alarming.
Tansingco recounted that on Jan. 23, airport officers stopped male Chinese national Zhang Hailin, 36, who presented a Philippine passport under the name Alex Garcia Tiu. Zhang attempted to fly out via a Thai Airways flight to Hanoi, Vietnam when he was questioned by immigration officers who doubted his identity.
Apart from his Philippine passport, Zhang was able to present a seemingly genuine birth certificate.
Upon further questioning, it was found that his passport contained counterfeit immigration stamps. He later admitted his true nationality, and was found to be overstaying since 2020.
On Feb. 7 a female Vietnamese national identified as Huynh Thanh Tuyen, 24, presented a fake Philippine passport under the name Maria Dantic Menor in her attempt to board a Cebu Pacific flight bound for Saigon, Vietnam.
Upon secondary inspection, Huynh admitted that she merely obtained her passport with the help of a Vietnamese friend.
“The rise in the use of fraudulently acquired Philippine passports is alarming,” said Tansingco. “These illegal aliens misrepresent themselves to be able to secure Philippine documents and evade immigration inspection.” – Neil Jayson Servallos