From another Board...
On Oct. 31, after being inundated by requests for more details about Obamas birth records, Department of Health Director Dr. Chiyome Fukino said she and registrar of vital statistics, Alvin Onaka, had personally verified that the Health Department possesses Obama's original birth certificate.
"Therefore, I as Director of Health for the State of Hawaii, along with the Registrar of Vital Statistics who has statutory authority to oversee and maintain these type of vital records, have personally seen and verified that the Hawaii State Department of Health has Sen. Obamas original birth certificate on record in accordance with state policies and procedures," Fukino said.
The cryptic and carefully-worded statement offered no true details of the birth certificate, and leads to more questions than answers among critics. In July, when Barack Obamas Certification of Live Birth was first distributed publically on the internet, Hawaiian Department of Health spokeswoman Janice Okubo simply asserted to the St. Petersburg Times, its a valid Hawaii state birth certificate.
Although officials are on record that there is an original birth certificate held by the state, and that it is correctly filed according to Hawaii state directives. However, the specifics of the type of birth certificate records on file, with modifications, as well as the details and accounts of witnesses, is still unknown at this time.
Credibility of the "Certification of Live Birth"
The computer-generated Certification of Live Birth was first used in November 2001 to allow the State of Hawaii to pull up birth records quicker for people requesting a birth certificate in person. At the very bottom of the form are the words, This copy serves as prima facia evidence of the fact of birth in any court proceeding. [HRS 338-13(b), 338-19]."
However, despite this written notice on the form, some Hawaii state agencies do not accept the Certification of Live Birth as irrefutable verification of Hawaiian birth. There have been numerous cases when the Hawaii Family Court System required more detailed data for paternity suits. Additionally, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands provides the following guidelines to Hawaiian natives applying for Hawaiian Home Lands homestead:
The primary documents used to show you are of age and a qualified native Hawaiian are:
- A certified copy of Certificate of Birth;
- A certified copy of Certificate of Hawaiian Birth, including testimonies; or
- A certified copy of Certificate of Delayed Birth.
In order to process your application, DHHL utilizes information that is found only on the original Certificate, which is either black or green. This is a more complete record of your birth than the Certification of Live Birth (a computer-generated printout). Submitting the original Certificate will save you time and money since the computer-generated Certification requires additional verification by DHHL. (emphasis added)
Additionally, the Certification of Live Birth is not recognized by many Federal agencies. DoD 5220.22-M, the "National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual," provides baseline standards for the protection of classified information released or disclosed to industry. Unified Facilities Guide Specifications, section 1.5.22.2 allows for a total of 18 different means to verify US citizenship, ranging from a military ID card to even a Hawaii certificate of foreign birth. The Certification of Live Birth is not on the list of approved documents acceptable for proof of Citizenship.
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