Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday expressed grave concerns about the reliability of Philippine identification documents amid reports of widespread counterfeiting.
Speaking during the Blue Ribbon Committee’s investigation on August 5, 2024 into the unauthorized proliferation and use of government documents by foreign nationals, Cayetano emphasized the urgent need for a specialized unit to tackle the growing problem of scams in the country.
“Who is getting better, tayo na gumagawa ng original identifications, or y’ung mga namemeke?” he said.
The investigation was attended by representatives from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), among other key agencies.
Cayetano noted that the “worldwide trend” of scamming is on the rise, highlighting two primary motivations: personal gain or to defraud others. He stressed the importance of convicting those involved in forgery, referencing the 2016 case where 177 Indonesians obtained fake Philippine passports.
“Ang tanong ko, nakulong ba ang mga namemeke noon? Kasi kung hindi, eh kaya marami pa rin ang namemeke ng mga documents ngayon,” he said.
Cayetano warned that these incidents undermine the credibility of government-issued documents, stating that the international community “will not trust the Philippine passport” if such issues persist.
He advocated for the creation of a special unit similar to Singapore’s Anti-Scam Centre and Hong Kong’s Anti-Deception Coordination Centre, both of which involve collaboration between police, banks, and telecommunications companies to effectively combat scams in the country.
“This hearing was scheduled to find solutions… Ginagawa na sa Singapore at Hong Kong, pero bakit tayo hindi pa ginagawa?” he said.
“We have to get ahead of the scammers. We have to think the way they think and stay one step ahead of them,” he added.
To gain a comprehensive understanding of scam cases in the country, Cayetano announced his intention to file a resolution linking these incidents to other fraudulent activities, such as SIM card registration scams.
He called on the PNP, NBI, PSA, and DFA to intensify their efforts in prosecuting violators and committed to supporting these agencies with the necessary resources to combat scams and the unauthorized use of government documents.
“I want to help you to find solutions. We have to equip you, but you need to tell us kung ano ang kailangan,” he said.
“Kailangan may makasuhan at ma-convict,” he added.