Immigration nabs Chinese man posing as Filipino for alleged espionage

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Wednesday it arrested a Chinese citizen with alleged ties to espionage and claims he was posing as a Filipino at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 on Monday.

According to a statement, suspect Ronxuan Cai had presented himself as a Filipino named “Peter Buenaobra Zhuang” and had been using a Philippine passport on his travels despite being tagged as a Chinese citizen.

Cai also had other official Philippine documents, such as a driver’s license, birth certificates, and marriage certificates, under a Filipino name.

BI raised concerns about Cai’s possible ties with Chinese organizations in the country, as well as alleged connections to previously arrested Chinese individual linked to espionage activities in Palawan.

“We were able to obtain a copy of Cai’s biometrics information from our records, and compared it with the biometric records of his supposed Filipino name. It was confirmed, the two individuals are one and the same,” said Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado.

“We have received validated information from government intelligence forces that Cai has links to the United Front Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party (UFWD-CCP). This is a high-profile case given his local influence and reach,” he added. —Jiselle Anne C. Casucian/RF, GMA News