Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday, November 15 said her office is now looking into reports of foreigners paying P500,000 to be able to obtain Philippine passports.

Hontiveros, at the same time, welcomed the Office of the Ombudsman’s parallel investigation into the reports.

“Philippine passports are not for sale. No foreign national should treat this official document as mere commodity. This is an offense to our Filipino identity, our history, and our national dignity,” Hontiveros said in a statement.

“We are currently looking into information that foreign nationals allegedly pay P500,000 per passport. I trust that the Ombudsman will investigate this exhaustively and get to the bottom of the issue,” she added.

The senator further believes it is high time for some government agencies to start “cleaning their own backyard.”

She recalled that during the Senate Committee on Women and Children’s hearing on the crimes linked to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO), lawmakers found that government-issued IDs are easily given to Chinese POGO workers, which they then use to get a Philippine passport.

“Naibunyag ko na rin sa hearing na may mga ads na nagbebenta ng ating mga birth certificate, voters ID, passport, at iba pa, para sa mga (It was also disclosed during the hearing that there are ads selling our birth certificate, voters ID, passport and other documents for these) Chinese nationals,” she pointed out.

“This is a serious national security concern. Now that China is far from dialing down on her aggression in the West Philippine Sea, she may be taking advantage of our porous borders, our weakened institutions, and our own corrupt officials to advance her interests,” she warned.

“Let us all remain vigilant. Huwag nating basta-basta papasukin ang mga dayuhang inaangkin ang sariling natin (Let’s not allow foreigners to just possess what is ours,” she pointed out.

Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, likewise, expressed his concern on the reports of alleged illegal acquisition of Philippine passports using fraudulent birth certificates.

Estrada said this is not merely a violation of the country’s immigration laws, it is also a potential threat to Philippine national security.

“This is a serious break that not only undermines the integrity of our immigration system but poses significant risks to our nation’s security. Our passports are not just documents; they are symbols of our nationality and sovereignty. Any attempt to compromise the authenticity of these documents poses a direct threat to our identity as a nation,” he said.

Estrada also said such process opens avenues for individuals with unknown intentions to gain access to the country’s borders and potentially engage in activities that could jeopardize the safety and well-being of Filipino citizens.

“The issue at hand requires a multi-faceted approach, involving collaboration between law enforcement agencies, immigration authorities, and intelligence services,” he said.

“We must enhance our systems for document verification and border control to prevent further instances of passport fraud and identity misrepresentation,” he reiterated.