Philippine immigration authorities have detained three Chinese citizens in a targeted enforcement operation for significant violations of immigration statutes. The arrests occurred during a raid conducted at a residential condominium in Barangay Tambo, following intelligence reports connecting the individuals to suspected unlawful activities in the region.
The primary individual apprehended, identified as Fang Li, initially entered the Philippines under temporary visitor status in 2022. Investigation revealed her failure to regularize her immigration status by applying for a mandatory visa extension following her most recent arrival. Authorities further uncovered that she was allegedly utilizing identification documents belonging to another Chinese national, constituting identity fraud.
A second detainee, Chen Youliang, was already subject to an active Blacklist Order and an existing Order to Leave due to previous breaches of his visa conditions. At the time of apprehension, he could not produce a valid passport or any legal immigration documentation.
The third individual, Xu Yuxiang, was taken into custody after verification confirmed the expiration of his visa extension, rendering his presence in the country unlawful.
All three individuals currently remain in the custody of the Philippines Bureau of Immigration (BI) while facing formal deportation proceedings. BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado issued a stern warning that foreign nationals attempting to circumvent Philippine immigration laws through aliases, fraudulent identities, or expired visas will face apprehension and subsequent deportation.
This enforcement action follows a larger deportation operation in November, wherein 23 Chinese nationals were expelled for involvement in illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) and associated cyberfraud schemes. Those individuals were found to have violated multiple immigration laws and were reportedly wanted for criminal activities in their home country.