2012-09-12
Following is the DFA’s official media line with regard to the issue of defective passports including measures taken by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to rectify the problem of detached passport covers:
THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND THE BANGKO SENTRAL NG PILIPINAS ARE WELL AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND HAVE BEEN TAKING STEPS TO ADDRESS THE INCIDENTS INVOLVING DETACHED COVERS AND PAGES OF THE NEW PHILIPPINE ePASSPORT. THE DFA AND BSP WISH TO ASSURE THE PUBLIC THAT THESE ARE RANDOM/ ISOLATED CASES.
TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION, WHICH HAS BEEN OBSERVED WHEN THE ePASSPORTS WERE INITIALLY ISSUED IN 2009, THE BSP PRODUCTION UNIT HAS BEEN APPLYING SPINE REINFORCEMENT TAPE, WHICH SECURES THE STITCHING OF THE eCOVERS TO THE INSIDE PAGES OF THE ePASSPORT, THUS MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO DETACH UNLESS THERE ARE ATTEMPTS TO DELIBERATELY REMOVE THE SAME.
THE DEPARTMENT IS ADVISING ePASSPORT HOLDERS WITH DETACHED ePASSPORTS TO PROCEED IMMEDIATELY TO THE DFA OFFICE OF CONSULAR AFFAIRS IN PARANAQUE, ALL REGIONAL CONSULAR OFFICES (RCO) IN THE PHILIPPINES, EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES OVERSEAS FOR REPLACEMENT.