THE City Government of Davao has denied allegations that the Davao City Civil Registrar’s Office (CRO) was involved in the illegal registration of Chinese nationals in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.
In a statement on Monday, March 24, 2025, the local government emphasized that the Davao City Civil Registrar has no jurisdiction over birth registrations in other cities or municipalities, including those in Davao del Sur.
“The City Government of Davao strongly refutes these false claims against the Davao City CRO, and we confirm that no employees from the office have been filed with cases related to the said incident,” the statement read.
This response follows reports from various news outlets alleging that the Civil Registrar played a role in the fraudulent registrations. The city government urged media organizations to "exercise responsible journalism" by verifying facts before publishing stories, emphasizing that the media should not be a tool for misinformation.
Lanao del Sur First District Representative Zia Alonto Adiong had mistakenly mentioned over the weekend that the Davao City Civil Registrar was involved in issuing fake birth certificates to Chinese nationals. On Monday, he clarified that the individuals responsible were four employees of the municipal registrar’s office in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur—not from Davao City.
Meanwhile, Councilor Temujin “Tek” Ocampo addressed the issue in a privilege speech, expressing concern over the spread of misinformation. He noted that despite the city’s clarification, the damage to its reputation had already been done.
“I believe Davao media reports responsibly. My concern is with their Manila counterparts. Pangutan-a sad ninyo ang Davao Media kay sila nakabalo sa tinuod (Ask the Davao media because they know the truth),” Ocampo said during the March 25, 2025, session at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
He urged the city council to take decisive action against fake news and called on media organizations to uphold journalistic integrity. He also encouraged Dabawenyos to remain vigilant, verify news sources, and report misinformation to the proper authorities.
The National Bureau of Investigation – Southeastern Mindanao Regional Office (NBI-Semro) has filed over 60 cases before the Office of the Ombudsman in Mindanao against employees of the Municipality of Sta. Cruz and several Chinese nationals were involved in the fraudulent registrations.
According to NBI-SemroO, the number of fake birth certificate cases in Sta. Cruz rose from 200 in 2018 to 500 in 2021. From 2016 to the present, authorities have documented a total of 1,576 cases.
With the issue now under legal scrutiny, the Davao City government reiterated its commitment to transparency and integrity in public service. RGP