Fake passports get 4 foreigners barred from PH

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has barred four foreign nationals from entering the country after they were found to have conspired with each other to travel to Canada using fake travel documents.

The four were intercepted at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 on Dec. 13 after they arrived in Manila on a flight from Hong Kong.

According to BI Travel Control and Enforcement Unit chief Ma. Timotea Barizo, two of the passengers — Hong Kong nationals Lam Mik Ho and Mak Hin Chun Adrian — were passing through Manila where they were supposed to board a connecting flight to Toronto, Canada.

Upon checking in at the airline’s transfer desk, however, Chinese nationals Chen Kaihui and He Chaorong presented Hong Kong passports bearing the names of Lam and Mak.

“There were two sets of Lam and Mak who wanted to transit to Canada, both carrying the same documents,” Barizo said in a statement.

Assumed identities

Upon forensic document examination, it was discovered that Chen and He had presented fake Hong Kong passports and merely assumed the identities of Lam and Mak. Chinese passports were later discovered in their possession.

The four were stopped by immigration personnel from boarding their flight to Canada. Canadian authorities likewise canceled the electronic travel authorization issued to Lam and Mak due to misrepresentation.

Upon learning of the incident, Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente ordered the inclusion of the four aliens in the immigration blacklist.

They were immediately sent back to Hong Kong and barred from reentering the Philippines.