Malacañang on Tuesday ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Philippine National Police (PNP) to investigate the release of a “fake” document supposedly announcing the appointment of a new commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
The Palace earlier said no document for the said position has been issued by the Presidential Management Staff, Office of the Executive Secretary, or the Office of the President.
Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said those found to have forged the great seal of government, signature, and stamp of the president in the fake document could be punishable with reclusion temporal, or between 12 to 20 years in prison.
She said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called for the probe over concerns that the forging his signature could cause instability and lead to further crimes.
“We also do not know what such documents can be used for. It can cause not just confusion but other crimes. So with this in mind he ordered an investigation),” she said.
Cruz-Angeles said it is too early to point fingers at any parties pending investigation.
“We are not presuming anything right now. Let’s see the result first, at least preliminarily in the investigation. We can’t say that we have someone to target. Let’s look at the evidence,” she said.
She the President has not set a timeline to release results of the probe.
Meanwhile, she said media outlets which published the report are in a “unique position” to give information about the source of the fake document.
“Wini-welcome natin ang kahit na anong impormasyon tungkol sa pag-prosecute sa kaso na ito kung susuportahan ito ng ebidensya through the investigation (We welcome any information regarding the prosecution of this case if evidence supports it),” she said, clarifying that the Palace is not trying to “scare” journalists, but give them an opportunity to cooperate in the probe.
She said reporters and media outlets will also be held liable if they “knowingly” published a forged document.
“To have liability at that end, we must first determine the validity of the document, its use, who made them, and so on. Unless there is a conspiracy or they know that what they are using is a falsified or forged document),” she added.