The Bacolod City Legal Office (CLO) served the notice to explain to Civil Registrar’s Office head Hermilo Pauyon regarding the alleged issuance of a birth certificate to a Chinese national in 2019.
City Legal Officer Romeo Carlos Ting, Jr. said Wednesday, May 22, that they already received a letter from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in Manila requesting an investigation into the incident.
“Upon the instruction of Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, we issued notice to explain to Pauyon last week based on the findings of the PSA Manila,” he said.
Pauyon is expected to submit his report next week.
PSA Manila earlier discovered that a male Chinese national in Bacolod City was given a birth certificate in Barangay Sum-ag, Bacolod City, and another one in the municipality of Hinigaran in Negros Occidental.
Ting said it was found out that the said Chinese national was the same person who also processed a birth certificate in Hinigaran.
“He secured two birth certificates in Bacolod City and Hinigaran,” he said.
He added that when he applied for a passport, he used his birth certificate issued from Bacolod City.
Ting noted that the Chinese national acquired a property in Cebu City, and when he applied for a Philippine passport, he was denied because he didn’t know the Philippine dialect.
Ting said the issue was triggered because of the Senate inquiry into the Chinese national in Cagayan.
Pauyon earlier said he already removed two personnel, both job orders, who were suspected of being involved in the issuance of birth certificates to the Chinese national.
He said the incident happened in 2019 during the previous administration.*