THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) has expressed concern over the increasing number of foreigners misrepresenting themselves as Filipino citizens.

Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingtco disclosed over the weekend that for January alone, a Canadian, Vietnamese and Chinese were intercepted while attempting to leave the country using fraudulently acquired but genuine Philippine passports.

Earlier this month, the BI intercepted a Hong Kong Canadian before he could board his flight to Taiwan via an Eva Air flight at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1.

The suspect misrepresented himself as a Filipino by presenting a Filipino passport, but he raised the immigration officer’s suspicion after he was found unable to speak Filipino or any other Philippine language. He was also unable to answer basic questions about his identity.

Upon interview, he admitted that it was his lawyer who processed his birth certificate for the application of his passport. The BI officers suspect that his passport and birth certificate were fraudulently acquired.

The BI’s Travel Control and Enforcement Unit (TCEU) recorded two more cases of misrepresentation this month at the NAIA.

Apprehended at the NAIA Terminal 3 last January 17 was a 35-year-old woman identified as Nong Thi Luyen. Nong attempted to depart for Vietnam via a Cebu Pacific Airways flight to Saigon.

Nong, who presented a Philippine passport bearing a Filipino name, raised the suspicion of immigration officers when she was unable to answer basic details about her identity.

“She later admitted during questioning that she is a Vietnamese citizen and that she arrived in the country almost two decades ago,” Tansingco said. “Apparently, she wanted to evade overstaying penalties, so she resorted to misrepresenting herself,” he added.

Investigation further bared that the Philippine passport presented by the passenger belonged to someone else.

Also intercepted at the NAIA Terminal 1 last January 23 was Hailan Zhang, 36, who attempted to depart the country via a Thai airways flight to Hanoi.

Hailan presented a Philippine passport, and carried identification cards and permits, claiming he was a businessman in the country.

However, the officers noted numerous inconsistencies in his statements, and he later admitted his real identity. The BI’s forensic documents laboratory also certified that while his Philippine passport is genuine, it bore a fake BI departure stamp.

Both Nong and Hailan were charged for violation of the Philippine Immigration Act, and will remain at the BI’s warden facility in Taguig City pending their deportation.