A Death Certificate is an official document setting forth particulars relating to a dead person, including the name of the individual, the date of birth and the date of death.
Having an accurate copy of Death Certificate is vital. In fact, without it, final care and disposition of the deceased cannot take place. Aside from that, in claiming services and facilities offered by any insurance companies, government agencies and financial institution entitled to the family of the deceased, it requires to present a registered copy of Death Certificate.
In most cases entries posted in Death Certificate contain clerical errors that need to be corrected. Below are the guidelines on how to correct Erroneous entries in Death Certificate
Error in the first name of the deceased in the Certificate of Death (COD) – an error in the spelling of the first name of the deceased in the COD.
How to correct
- The name of the deceased in the death certificate can be corrected through RA 9048. The petition for correction of entries may be filed by the spouse of the deceased, his/her children, parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, guardian or any other person authorized by law.
- A lawyer or any other person may file the petition provided that a special power of attorney is given by the persons in the preceding sentence.
- Aside from the requirements for the petition for correction of entries, the death certificate of the deceased should be attached to the petition.
- The petitioner may file at the Local Civil Registry Office where the Certificate of Death (COD) was registered or at any LCRO through the process of migrant-petition.
Error in the date and place of death- typographical error in entering the date and place of death in the COD
How to correct
- Proceed to the Local Civil Registry Office where the death was registered and file for a petition for correction of entries under the procedures of RA 9048.
Blurred/unreadable entries- A requested copy of the COD in security paper from NSO is found out blurred or have unreadable entry/ies.
How to correct
- Proceed to the LCRO of the place where the death was registered and request for endorsement of a clear/readable copy of the COD to NSO, if available. LCRO file copy is also blurred or has unreadable entries, request the LCRO for endorsement of Municipal Form 2-A.
No entries in some items- lack entry/ies in any of the items except at the Medical Certification portion.
How to correct
- A supplemental report may be filed at the LCRO where the death certificate was registered. Requirements of filing a supplemental report at the LCRO are: the Affidavit of Supplemental Report on missing entries, supplemental report using the COD Form and the copy of COD from NSO.
Negative results at NSO- A request for copy issuance of COD at NSO resulted to a Negative Certification
How to correct
- Request at the LCRO of the place where the COD was registered to endorse copy of the COD at NSO.
No signatures/different signatures of issuing officer from concern LCRO
The request for a copy of the COD at NSO resulted to a feedback due to no signature/different specimen signature of the issuing officer from the concerned LCRO.
How to correct
- In case the feedback is due to different specimen signature, request for endorsement of the updated specimen signature of the issuing officer from the concerned LCRO.
- If the copy of the COD has no signature, request the concerned LCRO to re-endorse a certified copy with signatures affixed in the document.
Source: PSA