Pimentel urges OSG to study alleged issuance of PH passports to foreigners

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Friday urged the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to study the alleged issuance of Philippine passports to foreign nationals.

Pimentel made the call during the Senate plenary deliberations on the proposed 2024 budget of the OSG, pointing out that Philippine passports are proof of Filipino citizenships.

“May mga nadiskubre po talaga na may hawak siyang Philippine passport. So we have no right to say na 'di ka Pilipino, but we really doubt dahil number one, di marunong ng any of our two official languages pero ang alam niya is an official language of another country,” Pimentel said.

(Authorities have really discovered that these foreigners are bearing Philippine passports. So we have no right to say that they are not Filipinos even if we doubt it because they do not know how to speak our language and dialects.)

He then inquired if there is a process to question the Filipino citizenship of a Philippine passport holder.

Senate finance committee chairman Sonny Angara, who defended the  budget of the OSG, said there is an administrative proceeding but it’s not within the agency’s purview.

At this point, Pimentel urged the OSG to study the proceedings on questioning the Filipino citizenship of foreign nationals issued with legitimate Philippine passports.

“Please study it, SolGen. Kasi ang ibabangga nga sa atin 'Sino ka to question? I'm a holder of a Philippine passport.' Pag hawakan mo naman ‘yung material genuine naman. That’s the issue, Mr. SolGen,” he said.

(Please study this, Mr. Solicitor General. These foreigners with Philippine passports can argue, ‘Who are you to question my citizenship? I’m a holder of a Philippine passport.’ And when you  check the passports, the materials are genuine. That’s the issue, Mr. Solicitor General.)

“Sa tingin ko sasabog na ‘yan sa lalong madaling panahon at marami-rami na po ang kasong ganito,” he went on.

(I think this issue will get big in the near future because there are many cases that were already reported.)

Angara agreed with Pimentel and said it should be addressed immediately.

“Dapat maagapan po ‘yan dahil mukhang may sindikato na,” Angara said.

(That should be addressed immediately because it seems there’s a syndicate behind this.) —KBK, GMA Integrated News