False Philippines citizenship claims systemic, BI tells Senate

MANILA, Philippines — Foreigners securing Philippine citizenship through late birth certificate registration could be a systemic problem, according to the Bureau of Immigration.

Agents of the BI earlier arrested Joseph Sy, a mining executive accused of using fake documents to secure Philippine citizenship.

At Wednesday’s panel hearing, Sen. Risa Hontiveros suspected that Sy obtained his citizenship through late registration of his birth certificate – the same method used by detained former Bamban mayor and accused Chinese spy Alice Guo, who is facing trafficking charges.

“It might be systemic that there are problems in how these birth certificates are issued, especially late registration like in the case of Guo,” BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval told radio dzMM yesterday.

“The scary thing is (Sy) has complete Philippine documents. All documents presented were original,” she noted.

Hontiveros said Sy was born and raised in China and has ties with the Communist Party of China.

“Once you have a birth certificate, which is considered a mother document, you will be able to secure many Philippine documents. It’s okay if it would only be used for business, but what if it is used to embed themselves in society, use it for espionage and other criminal activities? It is scary,” Sandoval stressed.

Sy is detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig pending deportation, she said.

The BI is waiting for cases to be filed against Sy, she noted.

Immigration officials are also coordinating with other state agencies after Sen. Panfilo Lacson said many Chinese sleeper agents and operatives of the People’s Liberation Army have been quietly embedded in the Philippines.

Sy takes leave

Sy, meanwhile, has taken a voluntary leave of absence as chairman of Global Ferronickel Holdings Inc. (FNI).

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange yesterday, the firm said its board had approved Sy’s voluntary leave as chairman effective immediately, during a meeting held Wednesday.

“This decision reflects the board’s commitment to allowing Mr. Sy to focus on resolving his personal legal matters while safeguarding the best interests of the company and its stakeholders,” FNI said.?To ensure continuity, the company’s board has elected its president Dante Bravo as chairman while he retains his current role.

The FNI also created the role of vice chairman to strengthen independent oversight.

Jaime del Rosario, FNI’s lead independent director, was appointed to the newly created position.

The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines and Philippine Nickel Industry Association have backed Sy, calling his detention unlawful and a violation of fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution. – Alden Monzon