4 March 2004 - After effectively blocking the attempt of several applicants who had assumed the identities of certain local government officials in order to obtain official passports yesterday, the Department of Foreign Affairs today foiled another attempt to fraudulently use an official passport to obtain a Japanese visa.

 “Once again, I would like to commend the officers and staff of the Office of Consular Affairs, particularly the Diplomatic and Official Passports Section and the Inter-Agency Committee Against Passport Irregularities, for their vigilance and professionalism that resulted in the apprehension of another person who violated the Passport Law,” Acting Secretary Seguis said.

 The Acting Secretary added that the Department was also able to prevent the fraudulent use of an official passport through the cooperation of the Japanese Embassy.

 “We are investigating how this person came to be in possession of an official passport.  This person somehow came into possession of a valid official passport issued to another person and altered the data on the passport.  We will act in a forthright manner and ensure the prosecution of all those who might be involved,” Acting Secretary Seguis said.

 The Acting Secretary said that because of the increased security measures and procedures that have been adopted to ensure the sanctity of the regular Philippine passport, illegal recruiters and other criminal elements are now trying to obtain official passports through fraud.

 “While we will be the first to admit that some problems remain in preventing passport fraud, we have instituted measures that make it more difficult to commit passport fraud.  These measures have forced criminal elements to explore the possibility of obtaining fraudulent official passports.  But as can be seen, we have shut the door on their faces.  We will continue to increase our vigilance and implement measures to protect legitimate travelers and preserve
 the sanctity of our passports,” he added. END.