Hontiveros on arrest of Chinese national posing as Filipino: 'Di na 'ko nagulat'
By Dhel Nazario
At A Glance
- Senator Risa Hontiveros urged the government to take serious action against the long-running sale of Filipino identities to foreigners, following the arrest of a Chinese national posing as Filipino.
Senator Risa Hontiveros said on Tuesday, July 15, that she was no longer surprised with the modus operandi of a female Chinese national, who was caught posing as a Filipino in business transactions.
Senator Risa Hontiveros (Senate PRIB)
According to the Bureau of Immigration (BI), Wang Xiujun, 43, was intercepted by immigration officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 upon her arrival last July 13 from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
She has been using the Filipino name Cassia Palma Poliquit.
"Nobody should be able to purchase being a Filipino," Hontiveros said in a statement.
"Pero sa totoo lang, hindi na ako nagulat na may isa na namang dayuhan na nagpanggap na Pilipino (But to be honest, I’m no longer surprised that yet another foreigner took on the identity of a Filipino). Our Senate hearings on POGO and Alice Guo clearly showed that official Filipino documents have been up for sale and used for evil," she added.
Hontiveros says that this practice seems to have been going on for a long time, and that serious action is needed. He added that law enforcers must continue investigating those behind the selling of government-issued IDs to non-Filipinos.
BI said that they received information of Wang’s involvement in businesses of selling and distributing electric vehicles in Metro Manila while using a fraudulently acquired Filipino identity.
It also said that Wang has a Philippine passport and a birth certificate, which was acquired via late registration despite being a Chinese national holding an investor’s visa.
"Government agencies like the PSA and DFA should also consider cleaning up their ranks, kung kinakailangan (if needed)," Hontiveros said.
"Dapat bigyang-prayoridad ng gobyerno ang paglinis sa mga dumi at kalat na iniwan ng mga POGO (The government should prioritize cleaning up the mess and waste left behind by POGO)," she added.