‘Chinese mafia’ using retiree visas – Senator

MANILA, Philippines — Alleged members of a “Chinese mafia” passing themselves off as retirees could compromise national security, a senator warned yesterday.

Sen. Nancy Binay issued the warning following the recent arrest of four Chinese using passports with special resident retiree visas (SRRVs).

She noted the increasing incidents of Chinese using genuine Philippine documents to claim Filipino trader or retiree status.

“The growing number of interceptions of Chinese nationals presenting authentic government-issued Philippine documents identifying them as Filipino traders or retirees has now become a national security concern. What is the monitoring mechanism of PRA to check if these ‘retirees’ together with those who pose as ‘investor-class immigrants’ are really legit?” Binay said, referring to the Philippine Retirement Authority.

She said PRA records showed there are about 78,000 foreign retirees in the Philippines, with about 30,000 Chinese “retirees” allowed to reside in the country permanently.

The senator added that a whole-of-government response is necessary to identify syndicates issuing fraudulently acquired government identification cards, including visas and passports, and tougher action against foreigners conducting illegal activities in the Philippines.

Binay called on the PRA to strictly screen and vet visa applications after the Bureau of Immigration (BI) last week announced the arrest of four Chinese suspected to be behind the proliferation of fraudulently acquired government-issued IDs and documents, including genuine Philippine passports with questionable SRRVs.

“It’s really alarming since these foreign nationals enter and exit the country using valid documents that we know were obtained through illicit ways,” Binay said.

“We expect NICA to help assess the scale of fraud perpetrated by these syndicates, and check the addresses and contact numbers provided in their ‘valid’ documents,” she added, referring to the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency.

The senator said the issuance and renewal of SRRVs have long been exploited as Chinese syndicates have likely connived, maintained ties and established networks within the government bureaucracy.

“Visa fraud and fake identities adversely impact national security. What’s largely alarming is the PRA policy of allowing Chinese SRRV applicants who are 35 years old, which can be categorized as ‘soldier’s age.’ There should be security measures and the vetting process of applications regardless of nationality should be tightened,” Binay said.

Last year, the National Bureau of Investigation arrested a PRA official for issuing unwarranted SRRV cards to foreigners.

The BI discovered several cases of foreigners pretending to be Filipinos by using different Philippine documents and genuine immigration stamps.