THE Bureau of Immigration yesterday said it has uncovered a troubling trend of foreigners masquerading as Filipinos and opening businesses in Mindanao following the arrest of five Chinese citizens recently.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the five used fake Filipino identities to establish businesses hiring undocumented foreigners.
Viado said that last March 20, BI intelligence officers arrested Bangdie Pan, also known as Ditdit, a 50-year-old Chinese, in Digos City, Davao del Sur, who was “actively managing” a hardware registered under an alleged Filipino citizen whose identity is now under investigation.
BI intelligence division deputy chief for Administration and Operations–Mindanao Melody Penelope Gonzales said Pan had a work visa issued under a company in Pasig City but she was found working in an unauthorized capacity in Davao del Sur.
Gonzales said Filipino employees of the hardware store admitted the alleged Filipino owner was non-existent, and the documentation for its permits was forged.
Last March 24, BI intelligence operatives arrested four Chinese identified as Zhongyi Tang, 62; Tianpei Wu, 51; Dezhen Liu, 62; and Wang Lianxu, 53.
The BI personnel were assisted in the operation by the National Bureau of Investigation Region 12, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Region 12, and officers from the Mlang Municipal Police Station.
Viado said the four were found to be working illegally in a chemical manufacturing plant in M’lang, North Cotabato.
He said they were able to obtain a birth certificate and documents showing that Liu misrepresented himself as a Filipino.
“Further probing uncovered that the company is registered under a Filipina, whom the other employees state they have not seen since the opening of the business. Plant employees admitted that the owner is actually a Chinese man based in Manila,” the BI chief said.
Viado said this is a disturbing trend, wherein foreigners illegally staying in the country can acquire Philippine documentation and use it to open businesses.
“These documents and new identities may be used by foreigners with malicious intent, and could be exploited by possible spies embedding themselves in society by pretending to be Filipinos,” he said.
All five Chinese face deportation proceedings.
