BI arrests Chinese national ‘Guo’ in Bohol for posing as Filipino

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has arrested another “Guo” allegedly posing as a Filipino, following the high-profile case of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, whose citizenship was challenged before the courts.

BI Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) Chief Rendel Ryan Sy said the arrest was conducted on the morning of 17 February along Alona Beach Road, Purok 7, Barangay Tawala, Panglao, Bohol.

FSU operatives, in coordination with the BI Intelligence Division and other government intelligence forces, apprehended 48-year-old Chinese national Guo Jinjin.

The operation stemmed from intelligence information received by the BI alleging that Guo was operating several businesses in Panglao using Filipino “dummies” or nominees to circumvent constitutional restrictions on foreign ownership.

Authorities also discovered that Guo was in possession of a professional driver’s license issued by the Land Transportation Office (LTO), identifying him as a Filipino citizen, despite official immigration records confirming that he is a Chinese national.

BI records show that Guo last entered the Philippines in 2018 under a Special Resident Retiree’s Visa.

While he has no active derogatory record in the BI database, verification with the LTO confirmed that he holds a professional driver’s license valid until February 2032, indicating Filipino citizenship — a representation that directly contradicts his immigration status.

The discrepancy suggests that falsified or misrepresented documents may have been submitted to secure government-issued identification.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco underscored the seriousness of foreigners falsely claiming Filipino identity, citing the recent controversy involving Alice Guo, who was removed from office amid findings that she was not a Filipino despite having served as mayor.

Guo will be held at the BI’s holding facility while facing deportation charges.