A Chinese national fraudulently representing himself as a Filipino has been arrested in Cagayan de Oro City, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado identified the Chinese national as Xu Shiyan, 38, who was arrested last May 21 by operatives of BI Intelligence Division (BI-ID) with the support of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Viado said seized from Xu were Philippine-issued documents under his name like a birth certificate, Tax Identification Number (TIN) card, postal identification card (ID), driver’s license, and a Commission on Elections (COMELEC) registration slip.
Also, Viado said that Xu claimed to be a dual citizen for having a Filipino mother and a Chinese father.
However, Viado said that “Chinese law does not recognize dual citizenship, and that Xu’s passport lists Guangdong, China as his place of birth, contradicting the Philippine birth certificate he presented.”
At the same time, immigration records showed that “Xu holds a working visa valid until 2026, which further proves he had not been naturalized as a Filipino.”
Viado said: “This case reflects the urgent need for stronger inter-agency coordination to curb the misuse of Philippine identity documents by foreign nationals. We will not tolerate any form of deception that undermines our immigration system.”
He urged government agencies to stop “illegal issuance of Philippine documents.”
“These fraudulent activities threaten our national security and must be met with the full force of the law,” he also said.