Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Monday warned of national security risks after the arrest of a businessman accused of posing as a Filipino citizen and joining the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Auxiliary.
Authorities identified the businessman as Joseph Sy, chair of Global Ferronickel Holdings Inc., who was detained by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for allegedly using falsified Philippine identity documents.
“This is like Alice Guo Part 2: pretending to be Filipino, with a fake passport and fake IDs. It seems there are still loopholes in the process of granting our nationality,” Hontiveros said, comparing Sy’s case to that of the former Bamban mayor whose nationality remains under scrutiny after allegations she concealed her Chinese citizenship.
“Although the PCG Auxiliary is voluntary and non-government, it is alarming to think that Sy gained access to people and events where national security may have been discussed,” she added.
According to the lawmaker, Sy joined the PCG Auxiliary in 2018 and even received an honorary rank during the previous administration.
She also disclosed that during former president Rodrigo Duterte’s 2016 state visit to Beijing, Sy’s company entered into a partnership with Baiyin Nonferrous Group Co. Ltd., a Chinese state-owned firm.
The agreement covered mining projects in Palawan, a province considered geopolitically significant due to its proximity to disputed waters in the West Philippine Sea.
The senator questioned whether Sy’s business interests were limited to mining or part of a broader agenda tied to Beijing’s strategic interests in the region.
“If this businessman is indeed a Chinese national masquerading as Filipino, the Senate must immediately probe his affiliations, background, and the circumstances under which he obtained his Philippine documents,” Hontiveros said.
“We should look into who enabled him and how deep his network goes,” she added.
