Alarming: Chinese citizens obtaining PH birth certificates, local gov’t IDs under POGOs – Hontiveros

Sen. Risa Hontiveros expressed alarm over Filipino birth certificates being produced for Chinese citizens through Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), which are then used to apply for Philippine passports.

The senator raised the issue on Friday, Nov. 10 during the hearing on the proliferation of scam hubs in the Philippines.

“Bakit kailangan nitong mga Chinese na i-peke ang nasyonalidad nila para maging Pilipino dito sa bansa? (Why do they the Chinese need to fake their nationality to be Filipinos here in the country? If their only motive is to work, they can do so by applying for alien employment permits. Why the need to cover up their nationality to become Filipino? This makes us ask: Are POGOs being used as conduits to allow enemy forces and their spies into our country?”) she asked.

“Maybe POGO and scam hubs are not the end game. Maybe the end game is to infiltrate our borders and weaken our national security, with our own Filipino officials as enablers,” she added.

In the hearing, Hontiveros also expressed grave concern over the government identification (ID) cards — TIN ID, PhilHealth ID, Alien Certificate of Registration, Alien Employment Permit, and Police Clearance ID — fraudulently obtained for Chinese nationals who work in Smart Web Technology, the recently raided company in Pasay City.

“Buti pa pala ang mga Chinese, kahit hindi na pumila, nabibigyan ng ID. Ang mga pagkuha ng ID na ito ang nagiging daan daw nila para maging legal na residente sa Pilipinas at magkaroon ng Philippine passport. Ang mas masakit na tanong: May mga kasabwat ba sila sa loob ng mga ahensya ng gubyerno? (How come Chinese citizens, even without going through long lines, gets IDs. Getting these IDs are their ways to become legal residents of the Philippines and to get Philippine passports. The heavier question is: Are they conniving with government employees?)” she said.

“Considering our current dispute in the West Philippine Sea, it is alarming that we are giving an all-access pass to our country to Chinese citizens through these POGO hubs,” Hontiveros added.

She also recalled how findings from previous investigations revealed that fugitives from other countries have been able to enter the country through POGO companies.

“I find it very problematic na basta-basta nalang tayo namimigay ng ID, lalo na nalaman natin noong mga nakaraang hearings na basta-basta lang napupuslit dito sa Pilipinas yung mga magiging workers ng POGO (that we’re just easily giving them IDs, especially after we found out in the previous hearings that would-be POGO workers can get inside the Philippines with ease). These IDs legitimize their status here in the Philippines,” Hontiveros said.

Ang isang matinding problema dito ay baka ang binibigyan natin ng identity ay mga fugitives sa ibang bansa. May nauna na tayong nabalitaan diyan. Nagtatago mula sa mga sala sa China at Myanmar, at dito tumakbo (One major problem here is that we might be giving identities to fugitives from other countries. This already happened before. Fleeing from their crimes in China and Myanmar, they go here),” the senator added.

With this, she renewed her call to Malacanang to urgently ban POGOs to protect the country’s national security.

“Dapat i-ban na ni Presidente ang mga POGO. Kung totoong gusto niyang depensahan ang bansa natin laban sa mga nambabastos sa ating soberanya, isama niya na ang buong industriya ng online gambling sa mga pinapalayas sa ating teritoryo (The President should ban POGOs. If it’s realy that he wants to defend our country’s sovereignty from those who disrespect it, he should also tell the whole online gambling industry to leave our territory),” the senator added.