Manila vows tougher action on gangs as 'Chinese mafia' eyes Philippine passports for crime
The Philippines has raised national security concerns over the existence of an alleged "Chinese mafia" accused of illegally procuring the Southeast Asian nation's passports for mainlanders posing as local traders, pledging tougher action against such gangs.
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said a whole-of-government response was required to tackle the threat from foreigners entering the country using valid documents obtained through illicit ways.
"We are thankful that lawmakers and law enforcement agencies are taking action against this scheme that we have previously sounded the alarm on," BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said.
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Sandoval also said the department had discovered several cases of foreign nationals pretending to be Filipinos by using different Philippine documents.
"We see this as a national security concern that should be addressed holistically by all government agencies concerned," she said.
Sandoval added BI was ready to share details about past cases with investigators.
Her comments came after lawmaker Robert Ace Barbers claimed "Chinese nationals were doing all sorts of schemes in our country" by faking documents to acquire legit government-issued documents.
Barbers said a "Chinese mafia" was also linked to the owner of a warehouse in Pampanga province, where officials seized crystal meth worth 3.6 billion pesos (US$64 million) during a raid last year.
He said investigations revealed "Willy Ong managed to secure a birth certificate indicating that he is a Filipino and he later got a Philippine passport and other government-issued IDs".
"Ong, including his other Chinese business cohorts, have made a huge mockery of the country's immigration, business and other laws by acquiring government-issued documents, illegally establishing local businesses by posing as Filipinos," Barbers said.
A law enforcement operation to trace Ong and his associates was unsuccessful.
Sandoval said her agency would continue its "strict immigration formalities" for both arriving and departing foreigners, as well as keep a tab on people living illegally in the country, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported.
Last year, a Chinese woman with fake documents was arrested by the immigration authorities at Manila airport when she tried to board a flight departing for her country.
The visitor was charged with carrying false immigration documents and unlawfully entering the Philippines after she failed to produce a visa and arrival stamp.
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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