By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Authorities arrested two Chinese nationals for misrepresenting themselves as Filipino citizens in violation of the Philippine Immigration Act, the military reported on Thursday.
The 1st Infantry Division said the two were arrested in a joint law enforcement operation on Wednesday in Barangay Mahayahay, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte.
They were identified as Boagui Xu, alias Stanny Co, 51, male, and Lizun Cai, alias Mia Co, 50, female, both Chinese nationals who had been living in the country for nearly 20 years while engaged in business activities.
The 1ID said it was discovered that both individuals were using Filipino aliases in official documents.
“Their records further revealed that one of the subjects was able to obtain a late-registered Filipino birth certificate and a Philippine driver’s license under an assumed Filipino identity,” the 1ID said in its report. “Both were also found in possession of Philippine driver’s licenses issued under their respective aliases.”
The two were brought to the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade headquarters in Iligan City for documentation and disposition by Bureau of Immigration personnel.
The joint operation was led by the BI and the Iligan City Police, with support from military units under the operational control of the 1ID and Joint Task Force Zampelan.
The 1ID said the operation highlights strong interagency coordination among the BI, police, and military.
The two are the second group of Chinese nationals arrested in the region this week. On Tuesday, authorities arrested Tao Zhang, 59, from Shaanxi Province, and Chenggong Zhang, 41, from Hubei Province, for involvement in unauthorized gold processing in Sibutad, Zamboanga del Norte. (PNA)
