The Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported that a Chinese national was successfully arrested by the BI Intelligence Division (BIID) operatives in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines for falsely posing as a Filipino citizen , in accordance with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s order to bolster the government’s campaign against illegal aliens.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado commended the swift action and stated that the bureau remains fully committed to enforcing immigration laws in compliance with the president’s directive to enhance national security and sovereignty.

“We express our gratitude to our counterparts for their extraordinary help, especially the Armed Forces of the Philippines. This case highlights the critical need for improved interagency coordination to stop foreign nationals from abusing Philippine identity credentials. Any kind of dishonesty that compromises our immigration system will not be accepted,” Atty. Viado added.

The BI chief also identified the apprehended individual as 38-year-old Chinese national Xu Shiyan, who had been posing as a Filipino.

The arresting officer said that Xu claimed to be a dual citizen, with a Filipino mother and a Chinese father. However, investigations revealed several discrepancies, including the fact that Chinese law does not recognize dual citizenship.

Furthermore, the Philippine birth certificate he produced is in conflict with his Chinese passport, which specifies Guangdong, China, as his birthplace.

Multiple Philippine-issued documents containing Xu’s photograph were recovered by authorities under his Philippine name. These documents included a driver’s license, a Comelec registration slip, a TIN card, a birth certificate and a postal ID.

Additionally, further evidence proves that he had not been granted Filipino citizenship, which is shown in his immigration records, which also revealed that he had a working visa that was valid until 2026.

This matter raised further concerns about the potential unlawful issuance and purchase of Philippine documents. According to investigators, Xu assumed a Filipino identity in order to get privileges that are exclusive to Filipino nationals, including land ownership, business registration, gun licenses, and potentially even the ability to run for public office.

“This case involves more than just an immigration violation. The integrity of our national identity is at stake. We demand that the unauthorized issue of Philippine documents be completely stopped. The full weight of the law must be applied to these fraudulent acts, which endanger our national security,” Atty. Viado stressed.

Xu was arrested in Cagayan de Oro City last Wednesday (21 May) with the support of the AFP and local police.

Atty. Viado disclosed that Xu will be facing criminal charges for deceiving himself as a Philippine citizen in violation of the Philippine Immigration Act.