THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Thursday said it launched a nationwide investigation into the procurement and use of fraudulent Philippine citizenship documents.
Under a Memorandum Order, Director Melvin A. Matibag directed NBI Regional Offices to identify and investigate organized schemes involving fraudulently obtained birth certificates, passports, falsified supporting documents, simulated of fictitious parentage, identity substitution, material misrepresentation and corruption among other methods.
In a statement, the NBI said the probe underscores that fraudulent documentation goes beyond an issue of immigration as it allows the exploitation of institutions and activities reserved for Filipinos.
“The objective is not simply to discover a fake document,” the NBI said. “We want to determine who produced it, who facilitated it, who benefited from it, what institutions were compromised, what assets were acquired through it, and whether an organized criminal or national-security network exists behind it.”
The NBI noted the investigation will prioritize validated cases involving links to Philippine offshore gaming operators or internet gaming licensees’ operations, transnational organized crime, illegal drugs, trafficking, money laundering, graft and corruption, national-security concerns, land ownership, nationalized activities, and persons holding or seeking public office.
It will also cover property, corporate interests, vehicles, and other assets connected with validated subjects and dive into the use of dummies, nominees, and corporate vehicles to determine beneficial ownership.
Mr. Matibag gave regional directors ninety days to submit an initial inventory of validated subjects, suspected networks, facilitators, investigative status, and identified assets. — CAT