Overstaying aliens have been using illegally obtained Philippine passports, according to Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco.
Tansingco said in a statement that their interceptions of fraudulently obtained passports are concerning.
Tansingco stated that on January 23, airport officers detained a male Chinese national named Zhang Hailin, 36, who presented a Philippine passport under the name Alex Garcia Tiu.
Zhang attempted to leave on a Thai Airways flight to Hanoi, Vietnam but was stopped by immigration officers who were suspicious of his identity.
The Chinese national was able to present a genuine birth certificate in addition to his Philippine passport.
Further investigation revealed that his fraudulently obtained Philippine passport contained counterfeit immigration stamps.
He later admitted his true nationality and was discovered to have been overstaying since 2020.
On the other hand, on February 7, a female Vietnamese national identified as Huynh Thanh Tuyen, 24, was apprehended.
Huynh also attempted to board a Cebu Pacific flight bound for Saigon, Vietnam, using a fraudulently obtained Philippine passport under the name Maria Dantic Menor.
Huynh admitted to obtaining her Philippine passport with the assistance of another Vietnamese friend during a secondary inspection.
"The rise in the use of fraudulently acquired Philippine passports is alarming," said Tansingco. "These illegal aliens misrepresent themselves to be able to secure Philippine documents and evade immigration inspection," he added.
During a secondary inspection, Huynh admitted to obtaining her Philippine passport with the help of another Vietnamese friend.
