BI nabs 50 Chinese workers in Mindanao steel company
FIFTY Chinese nationals working as laborers, office workers in Kamanga, Maasim, Sarangani Province were arrested by the Bureau of Immigration operatives in Mindanao.
The said aliens who were caught working for a steel company in the area have been a subject of case build up by the agency’s Mindanao Intelligence Task Group (BI-MITG) in charge of monitoring movement of aliens in the southern region.
The BI said its operatives received information from concerned citizens regarding the presence of aliens in the region. The MITG conducted surveillance and found out that there were aliens working in manual labor.
Investigation revealed that in March, the aliens secured work permits from the BI. Upon surveillance, they were found to have misrepresented themselves during their application.
The aliens were said to have presented themselves as skilled servicemen that would conduct short-time work in the company. However, upon audit, it was confirmed that they falsified their documents and misrepresented themselves.
The BI said the arrest was conducted in two areas of the work site.
During the arrest, 31 of the 50 were found to be conducting manual labor, while 18 were found to have been engaged in work inconsistent with their permit.
Of those arrested, only one was able to present proper documentation as he is a permanent resident in the country. The rest, 49 in all, will be charged for violation of the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940.
The said 49 will be temporarily held in a holding facility in Saranggani pending transfer to the BI’s warden facility.
The arrest was coordinated with operatives from the Regional Operations Unit 12 (RIOU-12) of the Philippine National Police, Intelligence Service Unit (ISU15AIB), and 38th Infantry Batallion, 603rd Brigade of the Philippine Army, Naval Intelligence Security Group (NISG-NFEM) and Naval Special Operations Group (NAVSOG-NFEM) of the Philippine Navy and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA 12).
