The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed criminal charges against several civil registry officials and private individuals for their alleged involvement in a scheme that produced fraudulent birth certificates for foreign nationals.

In a statement, the NBI’s Central Mindanao Regional Office (CEMRO), in coordination with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), revealed that the operation uncovered systemic irregularities in the Local Civil Registry Offices of Pikit and Aleosan in North Cotabato.

Investigators found that officials, including a retired civil registrar acting as a facilitator, allegedly bypassed legal procedures to process late birth registrations using falsified documents.

Authorities said the scheme primarily benefited foreign nationals, mostly of Chinese origin, who used fictitious identities to obtain Filipino birth records and falsely claim citizenship. Some documents were reportedly “ready-made,” issued without proper verification in exchange for money and other illicit benefits.

The PSA earlier flagged more than 50,000 potentially fraudulent birth records across over 1,600 registry offices nationwide, with Pikit and Aleosan identified as high-risk areas. The NBI’s investigation focused on dismantling this organized network operating within the civil registration system.

Charges filed include violations of Republic Act No. 3753, Republic Act No. 3019, and Republic Act No. 6713, along with falsification of public documents and perjury under the Revised Penal Code. NBI Director Atty. Melvin A. Matibag stressed that the case is a matter of national security and vowed to pursue all individuals involved in the незакон scheme.