Chinese tourists at NAIA (PNA file photo)
MANILA – A senator filed a resolution on Tuesday seeking to look into foreigners using falsified documents to pose as Filipinos, saying the country should be alarmed over such “disturbing patterns.”
Senator Risa Hontiveros, also Deputy Minority Leader, said the probe would look into the presence of foreigners in areas critical to national defense, particularly in light of China's aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea.
"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, citing reports of a spike in Chinese enrollees with questionable entry credentials.
Proposed Senate Resolution No. 1001 also highlighted incidents involving foreign nationals engaging in suspicious activities in Parañaque City and Cagayan province, prompting investigations by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and National Bureau of Investigation.
“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 (But with fake documents and making enrollment in schools just a cover is a different story)," Hontiveros said.
“Itong subdivision sa Parañaque ay katabi ng NAIA [Ninoy Aquino International Airport], at limang kilometro lang ang layo mula sa mga kampo natin. Ang Cagayan naman ay malapit sa Taiwan, na itinuturing na (This subdivision in Parañaque is just beside NAIA, and just five kilometers away from our camps. Meanwhile, Cagayan is so close to Taiwan which is seen as a) potential flashpoint in Indo-Pacific region. Common sense tells us to cover our bases. We can never be too careful,” she added.
She emphasized the need to protect national security and prevent the exploitation of Philippine national identity.
Hontiveros cited a report from the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok that four Chinese nationals were apprehended in Thailand for posing as Filipinos using Philippine passports, birth certificates issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority, and Philippine Postal Corporation identity cards.
Similarly, Cagayan Rep. Joseph Lara said he has received reports from his constituents that agents or fixers were charging "foreign students” PHP1 million to enter Cagayan, with 80 percent allegedly going to an agent or fixer and the remaining 20 percent to the school involved. (PNA)
