By Ferdinand Patinio
MANILA – Bureau of Immigration (BI) intelligence agents have arrested two Chinese nationals after being found to be illegally working at a restaurant in Boracay.
BI intelligence division Chief Fortunato Manahan Jr. said arrested on Monday were Zhang Ke, 34; and Li Jun, 40.
The duo was arrested at a Chinese beachfront restaurant in Station 2. Zhang was found to be the owner of the said restaurant despite holding an employment visa for a company based in Makati.
Meanwhile, Li served as the cook, and was unable to present his immigration documents, rendering him an undocumented alien.
The two were immediately flown to Manila for booking procedures.
They arrived in Manila on Sept. 23, and were transferred to the BI’s facility in Taguig, where they will remain while facing deportation proceedings.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado lauded the swift coordination between the BI and law enforcement agencies in Boracay.
“Boracay is a prime tourist destination, and we will not allow individuals to take advantage of our hospitality while violating immigration laws,” he said in a statement.
The operation was initiated by operatives of the BI’s intelligence division (ID) Regional Intelligence Operations Unit 6 in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Navy, and the Malay Police Station.
Meanwhile, the BI is keen on filing deportation cases against two Taiwanese nationals stopped for allegedly attempting to traffic five victims to work in suspected scam hubs abroad.
Viado said the duo was stopped on Monday after sponsoring five recruits for a pseudo-religious activity in Taiwan.
The victims –two females and three males, all in their 20s, attempted to depart for Taiwan on Monday from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3. They were about to travel with Pan Hou-lin, 66, and Zeng You-De, 54, both Taiwanese nationals.
The victims initially claimed that they were invited to Taiwan to deliver a Buddha statue, with the trip being organized by an alleged religious association.
Pan and Zeng accompanied the victims, claiming that they are affiliated with the said church.
However, upon scrutiny, the victims later admitted that they were actually bound for Thailand and Cambodia where they were recruited to work as customer service representatives.
Officers believed that the five were actually bound for scam hubs abroad, similar to those previously intercepted and repatriated.
The victims stated that they were recruited on Facebook and Telegram, and were promised a salary of around PHP40,000 to PHP50,000. They admitted that they all met at a house in Parañaque, where Pan and Zeng provided them with all the documents and instructions for their “story”.
The victims were rescued and turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), while the two Taiwanese nationals were turned over to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Women and Children’s Protection Center. (PNA)
