The business of Joseph Sy, a Filipino-Chinese executive and chairman of Global Ferronickel Holdings Inc., is facing investigation after he was caught by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for using a fake passport and ID to obtain Filipino citizenship. According to Sen. Risa Hontiveros, Sy's situation is similar to that of Alice Guo, who also used fake documents to run and win as mayor of Tarlac.
Sy joined the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA) in 2018 and received an honorary rank. Hontiveros was concerned because despite questions about his citizenship, he had been able to approach institutions with a national security role. Sy's company partnered with Chinese state-owned Baiyin Nonferrous Group Co. Ltd. in 2016 for mining operations in Palawan, which is considered a strategic area in the country's maritime dispute.
The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines and Philippine Nickel Industry Association criticized Sy's detention, which they said had no legal basis and affected investor confidence. According to the BI, Sy's fingerprints were found to match those of Chinese citizen Chen Zhong Zhen, 60, who was arrested on August 21 at NAIA Terminal 3. The case involves the use of fake passports and IDs while running several large businesses in the country.
