Group bares alleged glitch in new passports

MANILA, Philippines - There is a potential glitch in the new e-passports of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that could lead to the possible rejection of overseas Filipino workers and travelers abroad, an anti-corruption group said yesterday.

The Action for Good Governance (AGG) said it has received information that the manufacturer of new passports has switched suppliers for materials – including security features.

Lawyer Argee Guevarra, ACG convenor, said their group has gathered evidence showing that important security features of future batches of e-passports produced by the joint venture of state-run Asian Productivity Organization Production Unit (APO-PU) and United Graphic Expression Corp. (UGEC) could be substandard and could cause passports to be flagged as fake in airports abroad.

“Our e-passports are official documents with security features much like our currency and tax stamps. Any alteration in the design and materials that makes the new batch of Philippine e-passports different from previous batches may lead to the former being mistaken as fake. This is going to be a nightmare for OFWs who will be sent back home and kept from entering their country of destination, thereby possibly losing their jobs,” he warned.