LAWMEN arrested two Chinese nationals for misrepresenting themselves as Filipino citizens and violating the Philippine Immigration Act, the military said Thursday, March 5, 2026.
The 1st Infantry Division (1ID) said the two were arrested in a joint law enforcement operation Wednesday, March 4, in Mahayahay village, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte.
The 1ID identified them as Boagui Xu, also known as Stanny Co, 51, and Lizun Cai, also known as Mia Co, 50. Both are Chinese nationals who lived in the country for nearly 20 years while engaged in business.
The 1ID said the two used Filipino aliases in official documents.
Records revealed one of the subjects obtained a late-registered Filipino birth certificate and a Philippine driver’s license under an assumed Filipino identity, the 1ID said.
“Both were also found in possession of Philippine driver’s licenses issued under their respective aliases,” the 1ID said.
The 1ID brought the two to the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade headquarters at Camp Sultan Badrodin, Maria Cristina village, Iligan City, for documentation and disposition by Bureau of Immigration (BI) personnel.
The BI and the Iligan City Police led the joint operation, with support from military units under the operational control of the 1ID and Joint Task Force Zampelan.
The 1ID said the successful execution of the operation highlights the strong interagency coordination among the BI, the police, and the military.
The two Chinese nationals were the second group arrested by authorities this week in the region.
On Tuesday, March 3, authorities arrested Tao Zhang, 59, from Shaanxi Province, China, and Chenggong Zhang, 41, from Hubei Province, China.
They were arrested after authorities uncovered their involvement in an unauthorized gold processing operation in Sibutad, Zamboanga del Norte. (SunStar Zamboanga)