MANILA – Philippine immigration authorities have uncovered a scheme in Mindanao where foreigners use fake Filipino identities to establish businesses that employ illegal aliens.
In a release Thursday (27 Mar 2025), Melody Penelope Gonzales, Deputy Chief for the BI Intelligence Division in Mindanao, revealed that separate operations in Mlang, North Cotabato, and Digos City, Davao del Sur, led to the apprehension of five Chinese nationals with questionable documents.
On March 20, 50-year-old Bangdie Pan, also known as Ditdit, was arrested in Digos City. She was found managing a hardware store registered under a Filipino name, which is now under investigation. Despite holding a work visa for a company in Pasig City, Pan was working unlawfully in Davao del Sur.
Investigations revealed that Filipino employees of the store admitted the owner was non-existent and that documents, including permits, were forged. Pan was arrested in coordination with the Philippine Army, the PNP, and local intelligence operatives.
On March 24, Zhongyi Tang (62), Tianpei Wu (51), Dezhen Liu (62), and Wang Lianxu (53) were detained in Mlang for illegally working in a chemical manufacturing plant. Documents showed that Liu falsely claimed Filipino citizenship. The company, registered under a Filipino woman, was reportedly managed by a Chinese national based in Manila.
The five Chinese nationals face deportation charges.
Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado expressed concern over the ease with which illegal aliens acquire Filipino documentation, calling for stricter regulations on issuing Filipino IDs and business permits to prevent misuse by foreigners with malicious intent. Viado warned that such loopholes could be exploited by individuals posing as Filipinos to infiltrate the country, highlighting the need for tighter border security in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to safeguard the nation.
ia/mnm
