BI arrests 2 Chinese nationals for illegal restaurant operations in Boracay

Two Chinese nationals have been flown back to Manila following their arrest in Boracay Island for illegally managing and working in a restaurant, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Tuesday.

The suspects were identified as 34-year-old Zhang Ke and 40-year-old Li Jun. BI operatives caught the two manning a Filipino-Chinese restaurant in Station 2, with Zhang reported as the owner and Li working as a cook.

BI said Zhang holds an employment visa for a Makati-based company, while Li failed to present immigration documents. Both were transferred to the BI detention facility in Taguig pending deportation proceedings.

The operation was carried out by the BI’s Regional Intelligence Operations Unit 6 with support from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Navy, and the Malay Police Station on Monday.

BI confirmed the restaurant as “Golden Ocean Boracay.”

According to its Facebook page, the business started its operations in 2022, with its owner also maintaining an active TikTok account with more than 10,000 followers.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the bureau will remain vigilant against foreign nationals violating immigration laws.