Batangas residents told: ‘Report illegal aliens’

Batangas residents are being encouraged to report illegal aliens in their localities after agents of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested seven Chinese nationals illegally working at a quarry in Taysan town. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Batangas residents are being encouraged to report illegal aliens in their localities following the arrest of Chinese nationals illegally working at a quarry in Taysan town.

Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco said communities must “remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities of foreign individuals that they encounter,” as this could further aid the government in locating unlawful aliens, especially in far-flung areas.

READ: 7 Chinese nationals illegally working in Batangas quarry arrested

Tansingco made the remark in a statement Monday as the agency prepares to conduct a “Bagong Immigration” caravan, which provides expedited processing for various BI services and transactions, at the Pontefino Hotel and Residences, Pastor Village, Gulod Labac, Batangas City, on June 7.

Last month, BI operatives, with the help of government intelligence agencies and local police, arrested seven Chinese nationals working illegally at a quarry in Taysan, Batangas.

READ: BI admits scheme of ‘Chinese mafia’ a national security concern

Their arrest stemmed from intelligence information that some Chinese individuals were working illegally in mining operations in the province.

The initial target of the operation was a certain Wang Zhenglai, 34, who possessed a working visa but was found to have been petitioned by a fake company. However, the BI discovered six more Chinese nationals working at the quarry without proper documents during the operation.