MANILA, Philippines — In line with President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr.’s directive to strengthen border security and protect the integrity of government systems, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) Intelligence Division arrested a 33-year-old Chinese national who allegedly misrepresented herself as a Filipino citizen.
The subject, identified by the BI only as alias “Lin”, a 33-year-old Chinese national, was apprehended by BI’s intelligence division operatives on August 7 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 following her arrival from China aboard a Xiamen Airlines flight.
The operation stemmed from intelligence gathered by the BI, which identified the Chinese woman as the same person allegedly using the Filipino identity “Lin”.
Upon her arrival, BI intelligence operatives conducted verification and investigation and confirmed her identity through her Chinese passport bearing her Chinese name.
Hou was apprehended for alleged misrepresentation and fraud in violation of Philippine immigration law, as well as for being considered an undesirable foreign national.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado commended its operatives for their intelligence work and swift action in uncovering the alleged use of a Filipino identity by a foreign national.
“Pretending to be Filipino is not a minor immigration violation—it is a serious threat to the integrity of our identity and government systems. Our agents will continue to hunt down foreign nationals who attempt to manipulate or abuse these systems. If you falsely claim to be Filipino, we will find you, expose the deception, and hold you accountable under Philippine law,” Viado said.
“This case also demonstrates why intelligence-driven enforcement is critical. Our operatives work behind the scenes to identify discrepancies, verify identities and act before fraudulent identities can be further exploited,” he added.
Alias “Lin” is now in BI’s custody and will remain inside its holding facility while facing immigration deportation charges.
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