Korean man pretending to be Filipino citizen arrested at Naia — BI

This undated photo shows the facade of the Bureau of Immigration’s main office in the city of Manila. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — A Korean man pretending to be a Filipino was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) using a genuine Philippine passport, said the Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Tuesday.

According to the BI, the 43-year-old Korean had a Filipino name on the passport, which was later certified to be a genuine passport. He was attempting to board a Philippine Airlines flight to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, at Naia Terminal 2.

Despite presenting a Philippine passport, the suspect could not answer any questions in any Filipino dialect.

“Upon interview, the alien admitted that he used to have a Korean passport, and he obtained his Philippine passport through another Korean national,” said BI Intelligence Chief Fortunato Manahan Jr. in a statement.

On top of the legitimate passport, the suspect was also found with a Philippine postal ID and driver’s license.

“He was unable to describe basic details about his identity, including the names of his parents and his alleged wife and child, despite the use of a Korean translating application,” said the BI.

According to BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco, foreign nationals using Philippine legal documents are not new.

“There have been many instances in the past of foreign nationals obtaining Philippine documents through misrepresentation and illegal means that have been stopped by our alert officers,” said Tansingco.

The Korean man is now being held under the custody of the BI. He faces prosecution for violating immigration laws.

“We also warn that evading immigration protocols through acquiring spurious documents warrants deportation,” Tansingco added.

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