Immigration says Lim a Chinese

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is set to arrest and deport Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) secretary-general Graham Lim, who was found to be registered as a "native-born Chinese."

BI acting commissioner Arthel Caronongan told The STAR that the BI’s board of special inquiry will give Lim three days, as soon as the latter receives the order, to dispute the findings by their special prosecutor – lawyer Arvin Santos, who conducted investigation on his nationality.

"He (Lim) could file for an extension (of the period to answer the charges). But if the board of special inquiry recommends his deportation we will act on it immediately," said Caronongan.

Lim has two options if the three-man board of special inquiry upholds the findings of its investigator. One is the four-man board of commissioners, of which Caronongan is a member, that can overturn the recommendation of the board of special inquiry and, second, the Office of the President to which Lim has 30 days to make an appeal.

"But as soon as we approve the recommendation of board of special inquiry we could immediately issue a warrant of deportation. The law does not say that we cannot arrest him even if his appeal is pending," said the acting bureau chief. BI commissioner Andrea Domingo is abroad.

The investigation reportedly started after basketball coaches led by Liberato Valenzuela and former BAP official Emmanuel Juan Perez de Tagle filed a complaint against Lim alleging that the latter is Chinese. Despite being a Chinese, Lim reportedly acquired a Philippine passport in 1993, which he is using up to the present.

According to a BI statement, the complaint was supported by "voluminous documents." Investigation later showed that Lim was born in Manila on Feb. 7, 1957 to Chinese parents and that he is registered as a "native-born Chinese."

It was also shown that Lim’s petition for naturalization at the Manila Regional Trial Court was dismissed on Feb. 8, 1995. The reason for the dismissal could not be immediately determined as Santos could not be reached for clarification.

A similar petition for naturalization at the Office of the Solicitor General remains pending, according to BI.

Caronongan explained that Lim’s case falls under the 1935 Constitution which provides that children born in the country acquire the immigration status of their parents. If a child has a Filipino father and a non-Filipino mother he or she becomes a Filipino automatically while those born of Filipino mother and non-Filipino father can only elect Filipino citizenship at the age of 18.