DAVAO CITY — Four Chinese nationals were intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) for attempting to enter the country with fake Paraguayan passports, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said.
The BI’s Travel Control and Enforcement Unit (TCEU) reported that said aliens were intercepted at the NAIA terminal 3 terminal last November 18 when they arrived aboard an Emirates Airways flight from Dubai.
The four were identified as Chen Zhijian, Wang Wenjie, Wang Anding, and Wang Mingdi, all male and in their 30s.
It was learned that upon presentation of the four Chinese-looking aliens of Paraguay passports, immigration officers Delfin Almeda and Gerard Teaño became suspicious and noted several red flags. The duo referred the matter to the BI TCEU for secondary inspection.
“Upon interview, all four were unable to converse even in basic Spanish, which is the language used in Paraguay, which strengthened our doubt,” reported BI TCEU member Kate Martinez who conducted the assessment of the passengers. “They likewise failed to show any other identification documents proving that they are citizens of that country,” she added.
Examinations conducted by the BI’s forensic documents laboratory confirmed that said Paraguayan passports were all counterfeit.
Martinez reported that the passengers later confessed their true nationality and surrendered the Chinese passports which were hidden in their luggage.
BI TCEU Chief Ma. Timotea Barizo reported that three of the aliens, who attempted to enter as tourists using the fake documents, were immediately issued exclusion orders and booked on the first available flight to their port of origin.
However, Chen Zhijian was found to have a valid Special Retiree’s Resident Visa, and was hence turned over to the BI’s Legal Division for the initiation of deportation proceedings.
“All four shall be included in the BI’s blacklist to prevent them from re-entering the Philippines,” Barizo added.
