MANILA: The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday directed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to look into the resurgence of the mail-order bride schemes where Filipino women marry expatriates for a fee or the prospect of migrating.

In a message to reporters, Justice Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Mico Clavano said the move comes after immigration authorities intercepted a 20-year-old Filipino woman and an elderly Chinese man at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.

Reports said the woman presented a genuine marriage certificate issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority, indicating they were married in a restaurant in Pasig City but struggled to provide details about the marriage.

They were prevented from boarding their flight to Shenzhen on Feb. 28 and were handed to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT).

“Falsifying public documents is a serious matter. When a public document is presented, it should immediately evoke trust as authentic and valid. I
f the proliferation of fake public documents continues, it will erode trust in the agencies issuing these valid documents,” he added.

Source: Philippines News Agency