Camille Naredo

Senator Risa Hontiveros leads a Senate hearing on March 4, 2025, in Pasay City, probing the cancellation of Alice Guo’s passport. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File


Senator Risa Hontiveros leads a Senate hearing on March 4, 2025, in Pasay City, probing the cancellation of Alice Guo’s passport. She questions officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Bureau of Immigration about Guo’s whereabouts and possible lapses in monitoring her movements. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

20250304-senate-subcommitee-hearing

Izzy Lee

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175619101479120250304-hontiveros-risa-guo-senate-hearing-MT-8 (1).jpg" style="width:958px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Senator Risa Hontiveros leads a Senate hearing on March 4, 2025, in Pasay City, probing the cancellation of Alice Guo’s passport. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File"/>Senator Risa Hontiveros leads a Senate hearing on March 4, 2025, in Pasay City, probing the cancellation of Alice Guo’s passport. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File MANILA — Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday sounded the alarm over possible national security risks after businessman Joseph Sy, also known as Chen Zhong Zen, was discovered to have secured fraudulent Philippine identity documents and gained entry into the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA).</div>Sy was arrested upon his arrival at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on August 21 and is now detained by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) after his fingerprints matched those of a Chinese national.Hontiveros warned of the implications of Sy’s entry into the PCGA.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/22/-fake-filipino-arrested-at-naia-1734">&#x27;Fake Filipino&#x27; arrested at NAIA</a></div>&quot;Lumalabas na posibleng seryosong usapin ito sa pambansang seguridad at kailangan silipin agad. Kaya nung ma-confirm namin na naka-pasok pala si Joseph Sy sa PCG auxiliary, nilabas namin agad sa media para maagapan at maaksyunan, lalo na kung may mga natitirang miyembro sa roster ng PCG na kwestyonable rin ang nationality,&quot; Hontiveros said in an interview with DZMM Teleradyo Gising Pilipinas.Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson Capt. Naomi Cayabyab said Sy was appointed to the Coast Guard Auxiliary on July 11, 2018 after completing the standard application requirements for membership.&quot;Pwede po magsubmit ng police clearance, NBI clearance, &#x27;yung mga barangay certificates just to check po &#x27;yung eligibility ng ating applicant. After that mag-undergo po sila ng series of orientation just to orient them kung ano &#x27;yung mga dapat gawin, kung ano &#x27;yung mandato ng Pilippine Coast Guard na kung saan pwde po siyang tumulong,&quot; she said.Cayabyab clarified that Sy’s involvement was limited to the auxiliary service, a civilian volunteer organization that assists the PCG in non-combat functions.“For the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary, these are the civilian volunteer organization formed to assist the Philippine Coast Guard particularly po sa community or civic related missions po natin so kasama po &#x27;yung mga relief operations and disaster response assistance,&quot; Cayabyab said.&quot;Wala po silang access to any critical installation or sensitive offices of Philippine Coast Guard,&quot; she added.Following the controversy, the PCG has already delisted Sy, who is no longer authorized to present himself as a member.The senator also noted that Sy is a businessman and a major player in the mining sector, having previously entered into partnerships with a Chinese company during the Duterte administration.&quot;Chair siya ng isang malaking mining company na nagkaroon ng partnership sa isang Chinese company nung panahon ni Duterte at kasama sa napagusapan nila yung mining operations sa Palawan. Alam naman natin na iyang Palawan ay startegic location sa ating mga efforts para ipagtanggol ang West Philippines Sea,&quot; Hontiveros said.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/8/25/mining-group-calls-for-release-of-businessman-held-by-immigration-1939">Mining group calls for release of businessman held by Immigration as senator likens him to Alice Guo</a></div>According to Bureau of Immigration, Sy has been in the Philippines for a very long time.&quot;Nagsimula &#x27;yung mga documents niya dun sa kaniyang late registration na birth certificate so, from then he was able to aquire several Philippine documents including a Philippine passport na siya pong ginagamit niya to travel,&quot; said BI Spokesperson Dana Sandoval.&quot;&#x27;Yung actual Philippine Passport niya was issued in 2021, noon pa po matagal na siya sa Pilipinas. Actually, he has been here even in 1992 kasI &#x27;yung kaniyang visa was based on that eh,&quot; she added.Authorities raised concern that such fraudulent schemes could be exploited not only for business interests but also for possible criminal activities.Sy, now 60 years old, is facing a deportation case and is also expected to face local charges.

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday sounded the alarm over possible national security risks after businessman Joseph Sy, also known as Chen Zhong Zen, was discovered to have secured fraudulent Philippine identity documents and gained entry into the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA).

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday sounded the alarm over possible national security risks after businessman Joseph Sy, also known as Chen Zhong Zen, was discovered to have secured fraudulent Philippine identity documents and gained entry into the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA).

Hontiveros warns of security risks in Chinese businessman's fake Filipino identity

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Hontiveros warns of security risks in Chinese businessman's fake Filipino identity

Izzy Lee,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 26, 2025 02:55 PM PHT

Read More:

Fake Filipino

Chinese national

PCG

NAIA

Joseph Sy

Chen Zhong Zen

Risa Hontiveros

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