The Department of Foreign Affairs has announced that it will only accept applications for diplomatic and official passports from other government agencies if these are properly endorsed and filed by authorized liaison officers of the agencies concerned.

The move is designed to prevent instances of individuals misrepresenting themselves as government officials or employees and applying for diplomatic or official passports.

DFA regulations provide that only cabinet secretaries of the national government, service attaches of other government agencies assigned to Philippine diplomatic posts abroad, as well as delegates to international or regional conferences as authorized by and accorded full power by the President to undertake diplomatic missions for the Philippine government, are entitled to diplomatic passports.

On the other hand, representatives of other agencies posted abroad who are not accorded diplomatic rank, as well as government officials and employees with permanent appointments traveling abroad to attend conferences, seminars, trainings at government expense or under the sponsorship of an international or regional organization are issued official passports. END