A Chinese national who allegedly posed as a Filipino citizen for years has been transferred to a high-security detention facility here as the Bureau of Immigration (BI) initiates formal deportation proceedings.

Zhi Ling Guan was moved to the BI Warden Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig, following his arrest in Batangas province. The transfer marks the shift from the investigation phase to the legal process of removing Guan from the country for serious violations of immigration laws.

BI commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the move underscores the agency’s zero-tolerance policy for identity theft and the manipulation of Philippine documentation.

“Any foreign national who falsely claims to be Filipino and manipulates our systems to secure official documents will face arrest, detention and deportation,” Viado said.

Guan, who reportedly used the aliases “Shi Nengyuan” and “Mike Sy,” was apprehended after a joint operation involving the BI, the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Land Transportation Office.

Evidence against Guan includes biometric data. BI Intelligence chief Fortunato Manahan Jr. noted that fingerprints found on documents belonging to “Mike Sy” were a direct match for Guan’s records.

Authorities also discovered Guan had been using Philippine passports to travel internationally while claiming Filipino citizenship.

The suspect will remain at the Taguig facility while investigators look for potential accomplices who may have helped him secure the fraudulent government IDs.

“Philippine citizenship is not a commodity that can be fabricated or acquired through deception,” Viado added.

Once the board of commissioners issues a deportation order and Guan clears any local legal obligations, he will be barred from reentering the Philippines.