9 Chinese illegal workers arrested in Manila Bay

VISA CONDITIONS VIOLATED The nine Chinese nationals who were arrested for violating the conditions of their stay in the Philippines, have been turned over to the Bureau of Immigration’s detention facility in Taguig City. —photo from the Bureau of Immigration

MANILA, Philippines — Nine Chinese nationals suspected of illegally working in vessels on Manila Bay were arrested over the weekend in Parañaque City, according to the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

In a statement on Monday, the BI said the Chinese men were caught illegally disembarking from three motorboats along the bay’s shoreline at the Parañaque Fishport in Barangay Dongalo around 4:30 p.m. on June 29.

The arrested individuals, whose ages ranged from 33 to 54 years old, were identified as Li Weilin, Liu Peng, Wang Yong, Huang Haibing, Gong Yuan Ju, Zhang Tao, Dai Guang Yuan, Li Jiang Yu and Kang Tian De.

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Immigration intelligence division chief Fortunato Manahan Jr. said they conducted months of surveillance following reports of Chinese nationals boarding and disembarking from vessels along Manila Bay.

Based on a mission order issued by Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco, the bureau’s intelligence division, in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, arrested the nine Chinese nationals.

Four of them were found to possess 9G work visas petitioned by an engineering company in the Philippines, while the remaining five were found to be undocumented.

One company only

“Their visas limit their work to a company in Pasay City and nowhere else. Foreign nationals with valid working visas, if found to be working in a different company, are violating the conditions of their stay,” Tansingco said.

The arrested individuals have been turned over to the bureau’s detention facility inside Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City, the BI said.

“This operation is a clear message that we will not tolerate foreign nationals abusing their stay in the country,” Tansingco noted.

“We remain vigilant in our efforts to protect our borders and maintain order,” he added.