Malacañang said authorities are investigating a document being circulated on social media announcing the appointment of lawyer Abraham Espejo Jr. as commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration.
Press Secretary Trixie Cruz Angeles on Tuesday said the Department of Justice, National Bureau of Investigation, and the Philippine National Police are directed to look into what she termed as a forged document that bore the Great Seal of the Philippines and the signature of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
“Ayon sa Revised Penal Code, Article 161, ang pag-forge ng Great Seal of the Government, signature of the President or the stamp of the President ay pinaparusahan ng reclusion temporal. Ang reclusion temporal po ay 12 to 20 years,” Angeles said.
Angeles had earlier said Marcos has yet to appoint a BI commissioner.
She reiterated that the Presidential Management Staff, which conducts complete staff work on such appointments, as well as the Office of the Executive Secretary and the Office of the President, did not issue a document for the said position.
“Ang mga gumagamit ng falsified or forged documents ay maaaring ma-subject to investigation. Ganoon pa man, wini-welcome natin ang kahit anong impormasyon tungo sa pag-prosecute sa kaso na ito kung susuportahan ito ng ebidensya through the investigation,” she said.
Angeles stressed that forging the Great Seal of the Government and the signature or stamp of the President are serious offenses.
“Mabigat yung penalty na ito. ‘Yung ganitong klaseng crimes can cause instability. Ito po yung pangunahin sa isip ng ating Pangulo na magkakagulo kung papabayaan nating mangyari,” she said.
The official emphasized that such a crime can “cause not just confusion but further crimes.”
The Office of the Press Secretary on Monday was quick to dismiss an online report on the supposed appointment of Espejo, a former dean of the College of Law of the New Era University.