For posing as Filipino, Chinese national nabbed in Panglao, Bohol

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has recently arrested a Chinese national who pretended to be a Filipino and even had a professional driver’s license that supposedly indicated his Philippine citizenship.

In a statement, the BI said the 48-year-old Chinese national was apprehended in Panglao, Bohol on February 17.

Authorities received intelligence operation that the suspect was running several businesses there using Filipino “dummies” or nominees to circumvent constitutional restrictions on foreign ownership.

Although the suspect has a driver’s license from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) that said he is a Filipino, his official immigration records confirmed that he is a Chinese national.

The suspect last entered the Philippines in 2018 under a special resident retiree’s visa (SRRV).

The BI said the discrepancy suggests that the suspect may have submitted falsified or misrepresented documents to secure government-issued identification.

“Acquiring government identification by falsely claiming Filipino citizenship is not a minor technical violation – it is a direct affront to our sovereignty and our laws,” BI commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said.

“If you fabricate your identity to do business, acquire privileges, or blend into our communities, it is already a violation and expect that you will face the necessary sanctions,” he added.

The Chinese national will be held at the BI’s holding facility while facing the deportation charge filed against him. — JMA, GMA Integrated News