BI arrests Korean who posed as Filipino at NAIA

The Bureau of Immigration on Tuesday announced that its operatives have arrested a Korean who tried to leave the country with a Philippine passport.

According to the BI, the 43-year-old man was arrested on Monday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 while waiting for his flight to Cambodia.

BI Intelligence chief Fortunato Manahan Jr. said the Korean could not answer basic questions in any Filipino dialect causing the BI inspector to doubt the authenticity of his travel document.

“Upon interview, the alien admitted that he used to have a Korean passport, and he obtained his Philippine passport through another Korean national,” Manahan said in a statement.

The Korean also presented a postal ID and a driver’s license, which the BI Anti-Fraud Section said was genuine.

Despite this, the BI said he was unable to provide details about his identity such as his parents and his alleged wife and child.

“There have been many instances in the past of foreign nationals obtaining Philippine documents through misrepresentation and illegal means that have been stopped by our alert officers,” Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said.

“We also warn that evading immigration protocols through acquiring spurious documents warrants deportation,” he added.

The Korean is currently at the custody of the BI pending prosecution. —Joahna Lei Casilao/KBK, GMA Integrated News