2 Chinese nationals posing as Filipinos arrested in Laguna – BI

Two Chinese nationals who pretended to be Filipinos were recently arrested in San Pedro City, Laguna while three others were also nabbed for violating the terms of their working visas, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Wednesday.

In a statement, the BI said the two Chinese nationals – a man and a woman – were apprehended in Barangay San Antonio on November 14. The two were the subjects of a mission order issued by BI commissioner Joel Anthony Viado.

The foreigners reportedly posed as Filipinos using Philippine-issued identity documents, which were allegedly used to illegally secure firearms.

The BI expressed concern over this, noting that the “misuse of Philippine citizenship documents to acquire weapons poses a clear security threat and may be exploited for unscrupulous activities detrimental to national security.”

Three other Chinese nationals were arrested during the operation after they were found to be working for a company other than their visa petitioners, a violation of their working visa’s conditions as well as the country’s immigration law.

The five foreigners were brought to the BI main office for documentation before they were transferred to the BI Warden Facility in Taguig City. — JMA, GMA Integrated News