Saturday, August 21, 2004 Datu asked to appear before records mess probe By Aurea A. Gerundio
A TRIBAL Datu of the Bagobo tribe has been invited by the Davao City Legal Office (CLO) to explain the validity of the certification of the tribal marriage of Fernando Atangan Tuazon to Rafaela Oshita Bartlome on March 20,1958.
In an interview, CLO chief Melchor V. Quitain said the certification was among the documents submitted by four questionable Tuazon-Bartolome siblings to the Local Civil Registrar's Office to obtain birth certificates.
Based on the document obtained by the CLO, Tribal Datu Maximino B. Gabao Sr. of the Bagobo Tribe issued a certification of the tribal marriage of Tuazon and Bartolome on March 5, 2001.
Quitain, however, said a secretary from Gabao's office attested that the signature was not Gabao's.
"His secretary, who is also his daughter, showed to me some documents with the signature of Gabao at nakita ko na iba talaga ang signature dito sa certification of tribal marriage. But, Gabao still has to issue an affidavit denying the certification for evidence purposes," Quitain said.
Quitain said his office is still having a hard time locating the four siblings who earlier acquired birth certificates from the LCRO claiming to be sons and daughters of a Japanese descendant Bartolome.
"But we continue to look for documents para ma-locate namin itong magkakapatid and file the appropriate charges against them," Quitain said.
Earlier reports showed four people claimed to be sons and daughters of one Rafaela Oshita Bartolome-Conefry, sister of Judge Antonina Bartolome-Escovilla of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities Branch 2.
Escovilla filed a complaint before the CLO stating that the Local Civil Registry Office (LCRO) had allegedly issued fake marriage contract and birth certificates to at least four people who claimed to be children of her sister three years ago.
Quitain said the documents issued by LCRO stated that Tuazon and Bartolome have four children, namely: Elmer, born on September 6, 1961; Susan, born on August 20, 1963; Maria Rafaela, born on March 25, 1967, and Elrico, born on July 8, 1969. LCRO issued birth certificates to these people in 2001, all of whom carrying the family name Bartolome-Tuazon.
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