Nueva Ecija executive in fake birth certificate scam quits

GAPAN CITY, Philippines  – A city hall executive has resigned amid an ongoing investigation into his alleged involvement in the falsification of the certificate of live birth of a boy and the mysterious disappearance of his parents’ marriage contract.

Mayor Christian Tinio said Danilo Tan, city civil registrar, tendered his resignation ahead of the results of the investigation in the case of Davis Mandy Afable whose certificate of live birth was allegedly forged.

Tinio said he has designated budget officer Zenaida Azarcon in an acting capacity.

Tan, brother of contractor Ben Tan, is reportedly a close ally of former three-term mayor Ernesto Natividad whose wife Baby lost to Tinio in last year’s mayoral elections.

Tinio denied there is politics in the investigation of Tan, saying his creation of a grievance committee to look into the case meant the probe is not politically motivated. “That’s why the committee is there to investigate and I never meddle in their work,” he said.

Earlier, a STAR source said that the alleged involvement of Tan in the probe being conducted by the grievance commit formed by Tinio was politically motivated considering Tan’s link to Natividad.

The source, who withheld identity said it was Tan himself who brought up the anomaly to Tinio. “If he (Tan) has anything to do with the scam, then why will he bring up the matter with Mayor Tinio?” he asked.

Tinio said that on the recommendation of the grievance committee chairman Daniel Padiernos, he has preventively suspended Jocelyn Dimacale, the clerk of the office of the civil registrar suspected of falsifying Afable’s certificate of live birth.  

Earlier, the Sangguniang Panlunsod, presided over by Vice Mayor Rodel Matias, placed Dimacale under investigation following a complaint lodged by Afable’s mother Desiree Bonifacio of Barangay San Nicolas here. The SP later gave way to the grievance committee.

Afable was born on May 28, 2002 to Manuel Afable, an American citizen, and Bonifacio. Exactly a month later, the elder Afable and Bonifacio got married.

Bonifacio said in the process, Davis Mandy was “legitimated through subsequent marriage,” as borne by the couple’s application for marriage license and the certificate of live birth. The couple’s relationship, however, went sour and they later separated.

Bonifacio said sometime last year, she went to the National Statistics Office to request a copy of their authenticated marriage contract and Davis Mandy’s certificate of live birth. She said to her surprise, the copy of the marriage contract could not be found and the certificate of her son’s live birth was forged through false entries.

Attached in her certificate of affidavit was a copy of the certificate of live birth of Davis Mandy wherein the boy’s middle name and surname Afable were erased.

The same document, however, clearly indicated that Davis Mandy was “legitimated” through the subsequent marriage of his parents on June 28, 2002.

Because of the forged certificate of live birth, Bonifacio said it would appear that Davis Mandy was an illegitimate child when in fact, his being a son of his Filipino mother and American father was already “legitimated” through their marriage.

In her complaint-affidavit, she also attached a copy of the certificate of live birth signed by Tan and Dimacale dated July 5, 2002 showing that she and Afable got married. But in another certificate of live birth dated Jan. 21, 2011 also signed by Tan and Clerk 2 Arthur Merle, there were no entries opposite the lines “date and place of marriage of parents,” indicating they were never married at all.