Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers intercepted a Canadian man possessing multiple travel documents, including a Philippine passport.
According to a report from Travel Control and Enforcement Unit (TCEU) acting head Ann Camille Mina, the 49- year-old man was referred by primary inspectors after attempting to depart for Taiwan via an Eva Air flight at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 in Pasay City.
The foreign-looking man presented a Philippine passport but raised the officer’s suspicion after he could not speak Filipino or any Philippine dialect.
He also was unable to answer basic questions about his identity.
Verification in the BI’s database revealed that the suspect had multiple travels in the country using a Canadian and a Hong Kong passport and is a holder of a permanent residence visa.
Upon interview, he later admitted that it was his lawyer who processed his birth certificate for the application for his passport.
BI officers said his passport and birth certificate could have been fraudulently acquired.
The suspect was later turned over to the BI’s Legal Division for the inquest and charging with violation of the Philippine Immigration Act.