A 21-year-old Chinese national who was applying for a Philippine passport ended up getting arrested for submitting alleged fake documents.

Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation-Davao (NBI-11) arrested the man after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported that he was submitting questionable documents when he applied for a passport at their office inside a mall in Davao City.

NBI-11 Director, Atty. Arcelito Albao, said a Filipino name was registered in the suspect’s authenticated birth certificate issued by the Local Civil Registrar of Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.

Authorities did not disclose the Chinese national’s name as investigation is ongoing, as of this writing.

The Chinese national could not understand or speak any Filipino language.

“Although pending pa yung verification from the immigration but meron kaming ginawang investigation kahapon we found out that he is really a Chinese national in fact mga pangalan nakuha na namin itong birth certificate niya alam na namin na falsified to hindi totoo ang mga information,” Albao said.

The suspect’s family reportedly owns a hardware business and has been living in the city for 10 years. He studies at a university in the city and he was planning to travel to America.

“Late registration to… 2013 inapply sa NCR, late registered siya. In one of the interviews ng DFA kung sino nagpaanak sa kanya, ang sabi niya doctor and nang tiningnan naming, hilot ang nakalagay… doon pa lang, klaro na na hindi siya na-brief ng maayos,” Albao said.

“For verification pa ang nakuha naming… he was born in Fujian, China pati yung mother at father niya so ang latest ang father niya nasa Fujian, China,” NBI-11 Assistant Regional Director, Jonathan Balite, added.

NBI-11 will check the documents further. It will also look into the possible involvement of the registrar who issued his birth certificate.

“Trinansfer po ng assignment o opisina ang dating registrar LCR sa Sta Cruz and he will be retiring at the end of July 2024,” agent on case, Manuel Dulay, said.

NBI-11 also clarified that the arrest of the Chinese national has nothing to do with illegal POGO operations.

“I don’t think so na may relationship siya sa POGO kasi dito lang siya nakabase sa Davao but with regards itong mga issuance of falsified documents, kasali ito kasi yung ibang Chinese national na nahuhuli sa Manila and Pampanga and other region, mostly dito sa LCR Sta Cruz, medyo easy sila na hindi nila masyadong inapply ang pag scrutiny ng mga documents kaya nakakalusot or meron talagang mga tao na nasa likod nitong sindikato,” Albao said.

The Chinese national will face charges for perjury, falsification of public documents, and violation of the Philippine Passport Act.