Senator Sherwin Gatchalian called for stronger powers for the Philippine Statistics Authority to combat the alarming rise of fake birth certificates in the country.
“The law needs to be updated and make it more relevant today, as penalties for violations are currently too minimal and outdated,” he said.
On January 14, Gatchalian filed Senate Bill 2914 which seeks to modernize the civil registration system and replace the Philippine Law on Registry of Civil Status, enacted 94 years ago.
The senator said the bill includes provisions on delayed registration, stiffer penalties for violators, and other updates necessary to improve the system and deter misuse of outdated…