Manila, March 19 -- The National Bureau of Investigation has filed formal charges against several public officials and private individuals involved in a coordinated scheme to issue fraudulent birth certificates for Chinese nationals in two North Cotabato towns.

In a statement on Thursday, the NBI said its Central Mindanao Regional Office (CEMRO), in close coordination with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), has conducted an investigation focusing on systemic irregularities within the Local Civil Registry Offices of Pikit and Aleosan, North Cotabato.

The NBI said a conspiracy involved local civil registrars, their staff, and a retired municipal civil registrar who acted as a private facilitator.

"These individuals allegedly bypa...