Two Chinese nationals were arrested by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in Iligan City for misrepresenting themselves as Filipinos and securing Philippine-issued identification documents under fictitious Filipino names.

BI Mindanao intelligence task group operatives arrested the suspects during a coordinated operation conducted on 4 March in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte.

The arrested individuals were identified as Baogui Xu, 53, and Lizun Cai, 50, both Chinese nationals who were found to have assumed Filipino identities.

The two Chinese nationals were apprehended for misrepresentation as Filipino in violation of Section 37(a)(9) in relation to Section 45(e) of the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940, as amended, as well as for being undesirable foreign nationals.

Reports from the BI Intelligence Division revealed that Cai had been using the name "Mia Chua Co", while Xu had been using the name “Stanny Co".

Cai admitted to using Philippine documents, and subsequently presented her Chinese passport and alien certificate of registration identity card. She later acknowledged that she had obtained Philippine documents under a fictitious Filipino name.

Xu also presented his Chinese passport and alien registration card.

Authorities recovered several identification cards bearing his photograph but under his assumed Filipino identity, including a driver’s license, BIR tax identification card, and Philippine Postal ID.

The BI said the operation was conducted in coordination with several government units, including the Philippine Army and the Iligan City Police.

The two Chinese nationals were brought to the Iligan City Police Office for blotter and documentation before being subjected to inquest proceedings.