The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has barred the entry of 17 Chinese nationals from two separate flights last Wednesday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
The first batch of 16 travellers arrived aboard a Pan Pacific Airlines flight from Zhengzhou, China, while another Chinese man flew in via the Philippine Airlines flight from Bangkok, Thailand.
BI intelligence chief Fortunato Manahan, Jr., said 16 travelers claimed their travel was sponsored by a tech company in the Philippines.
However, the group gave inconsistent statements and and could not justify why they came here.
Also intercepted on the same day at the NAIA Terminal 2 was a Chinese man who claimed to be affiliated with a solar energy company operating in the country.
But Manahan said the documents he presented did not jibe with his claims.
All 17 were excluded and sent back to their port of origin.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente reminded immigration personnel assigned at international ports to remain vigilant amid the issuance of travel restrictions.
"While only limited classes of aliens are allowed entry, our immigration officer must remain vigilant to thwart the entry of illegal aliens who may try to come here and work without proper documentation,” the BI chief said.