ZAMBOANGA DEL SUR, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has arrested three Chinese nationals in Zamboanga del Sur for allegedly misrepresenting themselves as Filipinos and using fraudulently acquired Philippine documents, as part of the agency’s intensified crackdown on foreign nationals posing potential security threats.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado confirmed the arrests, warning that the continued illegal acquisition of Philippine identities by foreign nationals poses serious risks, including possible espionage or criminal activities.

“This is in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to protect the country from foreign threats. Foreign nationals pretending to be Filipinos could be embedding themselves in our communities for sinister purposes,” Viado said.

On June 16, operatives from the BI’s Region 9 intelligence unit, in coordination with the Philippine Army, AFP, and the 53rd Infantry Battalion, apprehended Wang Yunpeng, 46, in Brgy. Tikwas, Dumalinao, for posing as a Filipino and operating a coconut charcoal business without proper immigration status or permits.

Also arrested was Liu Yang, 45, who was found working in the same business without the required permits.

Later that day, Lin Shaozhang, 34, was arrested at a shopping center in Molave, Zamboanga del Sur. Lin was allegedly managing the business and was in possession of a Philippine driver’s license identifying him as Filipino.

In a nearby location, another Chinese national, Wang Jingcai, 41, was also arrested while manning a cellphone shop, also carrying a driver’s license falsely stating Filipino citizenship.

All four were initially brought to the Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Police Office for processing and were later transferred to the BI facility in Bicutan, Taguig, where they will be detained while facing deportation proceedings.