Government agents detained a 50-year-old Chinese national who was recently caught on viral video showing him spitting on a policeman who arrested him for a traffic violation in Manila.
The Manila Police District released Zhou Zhiyi from detention after posting bail, but government agents again placed him under arrest for violating the Immigration Law.
The foreigner is locked up at the detention facility of Bureau of Immigration in Bicutan, Taguig City following his arrest at the MPD headquarters along United Nations Avenue in Ermita.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente ordered the alien’s arrest for violation of the Philippine Immigration Act upon learning that the latter was granted bail by the court.
“I immediately dispatched a team of operatives from our Intelligence Division to effect his immediate arrest so he could also be charged for violating our immigration laws,” said Morente.
According to BI acting intelligence chief Fortunato Manahan Jr., Zhou will be charged for overstaying and being an undesirable alien.
Zhou arrived in the country as a tourist last November and was admitted for only 30 days.
On Feb. 6, traffic enforcers flagged Zhou in Binondo for a coding violation but he sped through traffic trying to escape. He ended up at Tayuman Street on the corner of Abad Santos Avenue, slamming into three motorcycles, one e-tricycle, and one car along the way.
The Chinese man was driving a white Toyota SUV and was accompanied by a Filipino woman who said he picked her up in Quiapo.
Police authorities also recovered one sachet of suspected shabu inside the SUV.
The Chinese spat on a police officer while he was in custody. The incident has caused heavy traffic in the area.
The Chinese did not speak English nor Tagalog, so authorities had to ask an interpreter to translate what he was saying.
In 2018, the Immigration bureau deported a Turkish national who was caught driving without license and assaulted a local traffic enforcer in Makati City.
Yuksel Ibrahim was driving a black Honda car at the corner of Gil Puyat Avenue and Bautista Street in Barangay Palanan around 5 p.m. when he hit the arm of traffic enforcer Michael Orcino, who was directing traffic in the area.
He also physically assaulted Orcino when the traffic enforcer refused to let him through.
Orcino was wearing a body camera when the altercation took place. It was knocked off after Ibrahim shoved and pushed him several times.
Ibrahim’s Filipino companion, identified as Felix Pancha, even tried to help the foreigner escape.
Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay, who asked the Immigration for the deportation of the foreigner, noted that Ibrahim blatantly disrespected Philippine laws by driving a vehicle without a license.
She commended Orcino, a member of the Public Safety Department, for standing his ground and continuing to do his job despite the circumstances.