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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 5 'fake lawyers acting as notary public' arrested in Davao City -- NBI

5 'fake lawyers acting as notary public' arrested in Davao City -- NBI

Published Jul 29, 2025 09:43 am
Five persons, who are not lawyers but who engaged in notarization of documents in Davao City, have been arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The NBI did not identify those arrested but it said criminal charges will be filed against them for falsification of public documents, usurpation of authority, and violation of the Notarial Act.
Not all lawyers can notarize documents. A lawyer has to apply and secure a commission from the Supreme Court (SC) to act as notary public.
In a statement on Tuesday, July 29, the NBI said the five suspects were arrested by the operatives of the NBI’s Southeastern Mindanao Regional Office (NBI-SEMRO) during operations conducted on Monday, July 28, in Bolton, Magallanes, and C.M. Recto.
It said the operations were conducted on request of Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Davao Chapter President Ferdinand Taglucop and Davao Executive Judge Rowena Apao-Adlawan.
Taglucop and Apao-Adlawan asked the NBI “to arrest and prosecute individuals who falsely present themselves as lawyers or notaries public and illegally offer notarization services for a fee.”
NBI Director Jaime B. Santiago advised the public “to exercise vigilance and to verify the identities and authority of individuals claiming to be lawyers or notaries, warning that these unscrupulous acts are illegal and will not be tolerated by the NBI, the IBP, and the Supreme Court.”
Santiago urged the public to report similar activities to the NBI or the IBP.
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