BI uncovers fake Filipino business owners in Mindanao, exposing illegal alien syndicate

DAVAO CITY — The Bureau of Immigration discovered a disturbing trend of illegal aliens using fake Filipino identities to establish businesses employing foreign nationals has been uncovered by Bureau of Immigration (BI) operatives in Mindanao.

The report, issued in a press statement by the Bureau of Immigration, showed that this crackdown is part of the government’s broader effort to enhance border security and protect the country from external threats, following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive.

On March 20, 2025, BI intelligence officers arrested Bangdie Pan, a 50-year-old Chinese national also known as Ditdit, in Digos City, Davao del Sur. Pan was found managing a hardware store registered under a purported Filipino citizen, whose identity is now under investigation.

According to Melody Penelope Gonzales, deputy chief of the BI intelligence division for Administration & Operations in Mindanao, the operation was carried out with the support of the Philippine Army’s 39th Infantry Battalion, the 1002nd Brigade, the 10th Infantry Division, the Philippine National Police, and government intelligence operatives from Region 11. Pan’s arrest stemmed from violations of Philippine immigration laws.

Pan, who held a work visa issued for a company in Pasig City, was found working in an unauthorized capacity in Davao del Sur. Filipino employees at the hardware store confirmed that the so-called Filipino owner was non-existent and that the business permits and documentation were forged.

In a separate operation on March 24, BI intelligence operatives arrested four Chinese nationals — Zhongyi Tang, 62; Tianpei Wu, 51; Dezhen Liu, 62; and Wang Lianxu, 53 — in Mlang, North Cotabato. The arrest was coordinated with government intelligence agencies in Region 12, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Region 12, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region 12, and the Mlang Municipal Police Station (MPS) under the Philippine National Police (PNP).

The four were found to be working illegally in a chemical manufacturing plant in Mlang. Further investigation revealed that Liu had misrepresented himself as a Filipino citizen. The company was registered under a Filipina whose identity is now being questioned. Plant employees confirmed they had never seen the alleged owner and admitted that the real owner was a Chinese man based in Manila.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado expressed concern over the rising trend of illegal aliens acquiring fake Filipino identities to establish businesses in the Philippines. He warned that such fraudulent documentation could be exploited by foreigners with malicious intent, including possible espionage.

“Foreigners may exploit these documents and new identities with mal-intent, and could be used for possible spying or other illicit activities,” Viado warned in the press statement.

The BI has called for tighter regulations in the issuance of Filipino documents and identification cards to prevent further abuse of the system by illegal aliens.

All five Chinese nationals are facing deportation charges, as reported by the Bureau of Immigration.