Solon’s name used to get birth certificate

REP. Gabriel “Luigi” Quisumbing of Cebu’s 6th district will file charges against a person who used his name and forged his signature in order to secure a birth certificate from the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The congressman said he learned from sources that the person, a resident of barangay Casuntingan, Mandaue City, signed a letter addressed to the agency with the name “Gabriel Luigi R. Quisumbing.”

The letter also bore the nicknames of the man’s parents such as Louie for father and Betsy for mother.

His name is being withheld until his side is heard on the case.

Quisumbing said he never uses his nickname Luigi in signing documents.

The congressman said he usually sends handwritten letter requests to offices with the letterhead of his office to make it official.

“What I am really concerned about is my privacy as a person. They were able to use my name even if I am an official, so how much more vulnerable are ordinary citizens (to these crooks)? Birth certificates are highly sensitive documents and it can be used to commit crimes using the victim’s name,” Quisumbing said.

The congressman didn’t rule out the possibility that it could be used as part of a demolition job on him considering that it is election season.

Quisumbing said he will seek aid from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to arrest the person.

Quisumbing said he will file a bill mandating the Philippine Statistics Authority to impose restrictions in issuing documents to interested parties in order to protect the privacy of Filipinos.