Probe sought on retirement, investor visas issued to Chinese

House Deputy Majority Leader Erwin Tulfo

MANILA, Philippines — House Deputy Majority Leader Erwin Tulfo on Tuesday sought a congressional inquiry into possible anomalies in the issuance of retirement and investor visas as well as in the late birth registration of Chinese nationals.

Tulfo called attention to the matter, saying it could help explain the influx of Chinese nationals into the country at a rate and number that had now raised security concerns.

In April, Sen. Nancy Binay also made similar queries, calling on the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) to carefully vet applications for retiree’s visas, saying a “Chinese mafia” may already be lurking behind them.

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Tulfo, who is the ACT-CIS party list representative, said some Chinese nationals had also found a way to avoid deportation by filing “baseless” charges against Filipinos.

‘Retirees’ at 35?

Along with Representatives Edvic Yap also of ACT-CIS, Eric Yap of Benguet, and Ralph Wendel Tulfo of Quezon City, Erwin Tulfo filed House Resolution No. 1771 urging the chamber to conduct an inquiry on the issuance of special resident retiree’s visa (SRRV) and special investor’s resident visas (SIRV), as well as on delayed birth registrations.

Speaking to reporters, Tulfo questioned the issuance of SRRVs to Chinese nationals as young as 35 years old, and of SIRVs to those recruited by Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos).

“They haven’t invested millions in the country but they have investor’s visas. Even Pogo workers have investor’s visas. They’re just workers,” he said.

Tulfo said HR 1771 was filed at the behest of Speaker Martin Romualdez, who wanted the House to look into the matter. Officials of the PRA, the Board of Investments, and the Philippine Statistics Authority are expected to be invited to the hearings.

‘Modus’ to stay longer

Tulfo also said his office had received reports of Chinese nationals filing baseless and weak cases in court against Filipinos just to have ground to stay longer in the country and avoid deportation.

He said he learned of this modus operandi from a source in the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

In the Senate, Binay had filed a resolution calling for an inquiry into the fraudulent use of the SRRV. This was following the BI’s arrest of four Chinese nationals in March.

The arrested foreigners were accused of illegally obtaining Philippine documents for compatriots who could use the papers to pose as Filipinos, enabling them to own property and businesses that were later used for criminal activities.