On June 29, during an operation conducted by the Philippines Immigration Bureau, nine Chinese nationals suspected of working illegally were arrested in Parañaque City, Philippines.
According to the Philippine News Agency, on Monday, July 1, Norman Tansingco, the Bureau of Immigration Commissioner, announced that on June 29, Li Weilin, Liu Peng, Wang Yong, Huang Haibing, Gong Yuan Ju, Zhang Tao, Dai Guang Yuan, Li Jiang Yu, and Kang Tian De were apprehended on the coastline of Barangay Dongalo in Parañaque Fishport.
Tansingco stated that with the coordinated efforts of the Bureau of Immigration Intelligence division and the military, these foreigners were caught disembarking from three motorboats.
“This operation clearly indicates that we will not tolerate foreigners abusing their stay in our country,” he said. “We remain vigilant in protecting our borders and maintaining order.”
Four of the workers had passports and held 9G visas applied for by a Philippine construction company, while the other five were undocumented foreigners.
“We have reason to suspect that these individuals were working illegally on ships in Manila Bay. Their visas are limited to a company in Pasay City and they are not allowed to work elsewhere,” Tansingco explained. “If foreign nationals with valid work visas are found working for other companies, they are in violation of the conditions of their stay.”
Meanwhile, Fortunato Manahan Jr., the head of the Immigration Bureau Intelligence division, stated that after receiving reports of Chinese citizens boarding and disembarking along the bay, they conducted months of surveillance and intelligence gathering.
The foreign nationals are currently detained in Immigration Bureau facilities.