The Philippine National Police (PNP) has directed the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to look into the alleged forgery of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s signature and counterfeiting of the government seal which were affixed in a document supposedly appointing a new commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
Police Brig. Gen. Ronald Lee, director of PNP-CIDG, said five persons believed to be crucial in shedding light into the incident were already identified by the probers.
“Sa ngayon ay may limang tao po tayong na-identify kung saan ang tatlo po ay napaldahan na ng sub-peona sa kani-kanilang known addresses. Samantala, ang dalawa pang personalidad ay patuloy na inaalam ang kasalukuyang tirahan (Right now, we have identified five persons, three of them were already sent with a sub-poena in their known addresses. Meanwhile, the addresses of the two other personalities are still being traced,” Lee said on Thursday night, Sept. 1.
However, the CIDG has yet to reveal the identities of the five individuals. Lee appealed to them to cooperate with the investigation of the police “to uncover the truth” behind the incident.
PNP Chief, Police Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. earlier described the incident as “alarming as he noted that the Office of the President “should be respected and should be given the utmost courtesy.”
Earlier this week, a supposed appointment letter document dated July 22, 2022 identified a certain Abraham Espejo as the new commissioner of the BI. Espejo is reportedly a former dean of the New Era University College of Law and lawyer of former president Joseph “Erap” Estrada.
The letter bore the signature of Marcos and the seal of the Office of the President.
Marcos directed the PNP and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to look into the released document as he maintained that there was still no appointed Immigration chief so far, according to Office of the Press Secretary Rose Beatrix “Trixie” Cruz-Angeles.