Authorities have arrested three foreign nationals accused of faking Filipino identities in Zamboanga del Sur, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed on Tuesday.
According to BI Deputy Spokesperson Melvin Mabulac, the individuals were apprehended during joint inspections by immigration agents and the Philippine Army. One of the suspects, reportedly involved in a charcoal business, presented documents that failed to match his claimed identity.
“They presented government-issued IDs, like a driver’s license,” Mabulac said in a televised briefing.
In a separate operation, authorities visited a shopping center where a store manager and a staff member were also caught pretending to be Filipinos. Further checks revealed they were Chinese nationals.
The three were later brought to the BI detention facility in Taguig as investigations continue.
Mabulac raised concerns about how the suspects obtained authentic-looking identification cards. “It’s alarming because they can pose a threat to national security,” he warned. “We are closely working with other agencies to identify who is behind the issuance of such documents.”
The BI is coordinating with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, among others, to trace the source of the fraudulent IDs.
Mabulac stressed the possible risks, including espionage. “Ang kinakatakutan natin ay gamitin ito sa paniniktik sa ating bansa,” he said.
He also emphasized that the operation’s success was made possible by inter-agency collaboration with the military and intelligence agencies.
