IMMIGRATION Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado yesterday said the Chinese national recently arrested in Cagayan de Oro for pretending to be a Filipino has links to Tony Yang who was previously investigated by lawmakers for his alleged links to the illegal operation of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation (POGO) facilities.
Viado said information provided by the Mindanao Intelligence Task Force of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) showed that Xu Shiyan is an incorporator of the Philippine Sanjia Steel Corporation, which included Antonio Lim, an alias of Yang, as among its incorporators.
Operatives found numerous Philippine documents, including birth certificates, PhilSys slips, SSS forms, UMID forms, Postal ID, TIN ID, driver’s license, and a COMELEC registration slip, all bearing Xu’s details, when he was arrested last May 26.
Xu reportedly used his assumed Filipino identity to access privileges exclusive to Filipino citizens, such as property ownership, business registration, and firearms licensing.
It can be recalled that the BI arrested Yang in 2024 after he also misrepresented himself as a Filipino.
Phil-Sanjia was investigated by the House of Representatives last year after it was identified to have alleged links with illegal POGO operations.
Viado said investigations are still ongoing to determine if Xu is also involved or connected to the operation of offshore gaming in the country.
Meanwhile, the BI chief said the agency is further intensifying its operation against foreign nationals who falsify their identities and use Philippine documents to cover their tracks.
“The Bureau is fully committed to supporting the President’s campaign to rid the country of criminal elements linked to illegal POGOs,” he said.
