The establishment of online pre-entry immigration checks and much higher residency fees could become a reality as the Japanese government approved a bill to amend the immigration control law, according to a Kyodo News report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of Kyodo News Some parts in boldface…
The Japanese government on Tuesday approved a bill to amend the immigration control law to establish an online pre-entry screening system for overseas arrivals and significantly increase residence status application fees for foreigners.
The Cabinet-endorsed bill will be submitted to the current Diet session, and if enacted, the government aims to implement the entry eligibility screening system called the Japan Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or JESTA, in fiscal 2028.
The amendment includes raising the upper limit for visa application and renewal fees from 10,000 yen ($63) to 300,000 yen, marking the first increase since 1982.
The introduction of JESTA aims to prevent terrorism and illegal employment, according to the Immigration Services Agency. It would target the current 74 countries and regions whose citizens are exempt from obtaining short-stay visas.
Several days before traveling to Japan, applicants would be required to provide information online, including their name, the purpose of their stay, and the locations they intend to visit. Those suspected of traveling for illegal employment or other violations would be denied boarding on aircraft and ships.
Fees are currently set at 10,000 yen for application for permanent residency and 6,000 yen for residence period renewals.
It has been pointed out that these fees, which cover only actual costs and are also allocated to coexistence measures, are significantly lower than those in Western countries.
The number of foreign residents in Japan at the end of 2025 stood at approximately 4.13 million, a record high.
The government would aim to use the increased cap to cover system costs for efficient visa screening and the establishment of consultation services.
The amendment sets the cap at 300,000 yen for permanent residency applications and 100,000 yen for visa extensions and similar procedures.
The limits have been set in anticipation of future inflation. Going forward, the specific amounts for each fee would be determined by government ordinance with the aim of applying them within fiscal 2026.
According to sources, the permanent residency application fee is being considered at around 200,000 yen, while other fees would range from 10,000 yen to 70,000 yen depending on the intended period of stay.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think the proposed changes will make a tremendous impact on immigration in Japan? Do you expect the bill to be approved this year? How far do you think Japan should go with reforming their immigration system?
Recently in the city of Parañaque, the local police officers successfully conducted a buy-bust operation the resulted in the two suspects arrested and the seizure of illegal substances worth P442,000, according to a news report by the Manila Bulletin.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…
Police arrested two drug suspects, including a newly identified high-value individual (HVI), during a drug operation and seized P442,000 worth of shabu in Parañaque on March 6.
Parañaque City Police Chief Col. Nicolas Pinon identified the suspects as Jero, 21, a newly identified HVI, and DJ, 22, a street-level individual (SLI). Both are residents of Taguig City. They were arrested around 1:40 a.m. along Sitio Pag-Asa, Barangay Sun Valley, Parañaque City.
Police said members of the Station Drug Enforcement Unit (SDEU) conducted the buy-bust operation as part of their continuing campaign against illegal drugs.
The suspects were arrested after an undercover police officer, posing as a buyer, was able to purchase a sachet of shabu from them.
Operatives recovered from the suspects an additional three plastic sachets of suspected shabu weighing about 65 grams with an estimated street value of P442,000. Also seized were a silver-colored iPhone, a block coin purse, a driver’s license, P850 in buy-bust money, and a red Honda PCX motorcycle.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, are you thankful to the local police for the successful buy-bust operation? Do you think Parañaque will not become a drug-free city anytime soon?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, video game enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the late-1990s to examine another issue of the magazine-sized comic book series titled Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine.
The launch issue of Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine was surprisingly entertaining. That’s not to say it was excellent as it had some flaws here and there. It succeeded with creative stuff by WildStorm to give readers and RE fans a wider lore of Resident Evil by reconnecting them with the first video game and slowly connecting them to Resident Evil 2. The interview with RE creator and producer Shinji Mikami (still a prolific video games industry producer) was indeed a good bonus.
As many of us know, Resident Evil 2 was a huge critical and commercial hit in 1998. By the time WildStorm continued publishing another issue of the official comic book magazine, enthusiasm for Resident Evil was intensified and many new gamers who enjoy RE2 on PlayStation became fans.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #2, published by WildStorm/Image Comics in 1998 with short stories written by Ted Adams and Kris Oprisko, and drawn by Carlos D’Anda and Lee Bermejo.
The cover.
Early stories
A New Chapter of Evil (Resident Evil 2 adaptation) – Inside a police car moving along the street in the middle of a zombie-fested Raccoon City, Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield tried to figure out what has been happening around them. Leon notices an over-speeding truck is about to hit them from behind. The two managed to get out of the car before it got hit by the truck. From a distance, Leon tells Claire to make her way to the Raccoon City police station where they can meet again.
Mutant Menagerie – After getting left behind by the armed men who shot him, chief researcher William Birkin clutches an overlooked vial of the G-virus and injects himself with it. He soon mutates into a large, deformed monster capable of killing anyone easily. Propelled by sheer willpower to save his life’s work, Birkin simply thinks about infecting many. The next day at the zoo of Raccoon City, a monstrous roar catches the attention of a security guard who rushes outside only to find his two colleagues dead and their bodies torn apart.
Lock Down – Barry Burton, who has been experiencing recurring nightmares since the disastrous mission at the Spencer mansion, visits a facility to seek the help of a psychiatrist. As he approaches the office of the psychiatrist, he noticed someone looking strange.
Quality
Barry Burton suddenly encounters a Tyrant!
In this 2nd issue, the WildStorm team prepared three short stories with the first one serving as the illustrated adaptation of Resident Evil 2’s story (specifically with Leon on Scenario A and Claire on Scenario B).
The RE2 adaptation titled A New Chapter of Evil is very sloppy and so poorly done. The assigned writer and artist forcibly crammed the entire Resident Evil 2 story into a limited number of pages. The result is a very rushed approach on storytelling and the noticeable lack of care on the presentation. Having played RE2 a number of times myself, I can easily say that the order of scenes from the game were sloppily chained together in illustrated format to unbelievably occur next to each other without any proper spacing. That also means leaving no space for the reader to slow down to be able to absorb the details and to understand what has been going on.
Since there were not enough pages allocated, the visual presentation also suffered. Each battle with a monster happened too fast and not enough panels could be made to emphasize clearly what happened. The same thing also happened in key scenes of the story.
In the scene in which Claire Redfield encountered the office of the corrupt chief of police (with the dead body of a blonde woman on his desk), the creative team showed the two having a really short talk quickly followed by Claire meeting Sherry for the first time (without even showing Claire moving out of the chief’s office) followed by showing them descending on a motorized lift and quickly encountering the chief (who somehow teleported ahead of them).
The cramming of scenes, dialogue and bad visualization happened all throughout this Resident Evil 2 adaptation. One has to wonder why WildStorm decided not to use the entire 2nd issue for the adaptation. This literary adaptation of RE2 is absolutely bad and it is clearly an embarrassing piece of work of WildStorm’s publishing.
The short story Mutant Menagerie is an attempt to connect to the lord of RE2 by having the mutated William Birkin as the monster with the zoo as the environment. The protagonist is the zoo security guard Patrick Brady who is unsurprisingly in a major disadvantage. Creatively, this tale provides readers an interesting look at what would happen had the G-virus infected the animals in the zoo which added a new element of danger in the zombie crisis within the Resident Evil universe. The story has some Rambo-vibes when it came to the protagonist taking extreme measures to deal with the infected zoo animals.
While Mutant Menagerie is clearly non-canon as the presence of Birkin in the zoo made no sense at all in relation to what was shown in Resident Evil 2 (Birkin’s presence was limited to the NEST facility underneath Raccoon City), this short story became more relevant as the Raccoon City Zoo officially appeared in Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2 (released SIX YEARS after this comic book). This short story is an intriguing and satisfying piece of fan fiction.
The third tale Lock Down is a serious attempt to give RE fans a look at what happened to Barry Burton after the events of the 1996 game. This one has some Die Hard vibes as you will see Burton as a desperate action hero who happens to be present during a very unfortunate series of events. You will also see how he strives hard to solve problems without Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield and Rebecca Chambers to assist him. Artist Lee Bermejo did not compromise with the graphic violence and gore, and his approach on visual dynamism was nicely executed. His visualization of Burton is pretty good too.
While the series of unfortunate events here makes the tale believable, there is something weird as the narrative went on. The building itself has secrets of its own and scenes such as Barry Burton suddenly encountering a Tyrant felt like a nightmare from nowhere. It is implied that the laboratory, the postal center, the smelly sub-basement and the penthouse could have all been established by Umbrella within the city. This short story is actually entertaining and surprising.
Conclusion
Claire Redfield and Leon Kennedy in the Resident Evil 2 adaptation.
The main feature story of Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #2 (1998) – the official adaptation of Resident Evil 2’s story – is clearly the failure and is an obvious waste of time. What prevented this comic book magazine from becoming a total disaster were the short stories Mutant Menagerie and Lock Down which were entertaining and surprising to read. That said, it is mind-boggling that WildStorm did not use this entire issue to properly tell the Resident Evil 2 story and give the creative team enough space to ensure a quality adaptation. I wonder how Capcom and the Resident Evil 2 developers reacted to this issue’s RE2 adaptation.
Overall, Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #2 (1998) is serviceable.
With the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and much higher prices of fuel already in effect, the City Government of Las Piñas announced that it has started implementing the compressed work week schedule to specifically cut down on energy consumption in government offices. Workers of certain departments, however, will resume their regular operations to ensure uninterrupted services.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the entire announcement by the City Government. Some parts in boldface…
The Office of the Mayor released Memo No. 2026-001 implementing the Compressed Workweek Schedule in the City Government of Las Piñas, in accordance with Memorandum Circular No. 114 of the national government that aims to reduce energy consumption in government offices.
Under the new schedule, city employees will go to work Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
The move aims to support energy conservation, make government operations more efficient, and ensure service delivery to citizens continues.
Offices that provide essential services such as the City Health Office, Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, Engineering Office, City Environmental and Natural Resources Office, and Traffic and Parking Management Office will resume their regular operations to ensure public service is not interrupted.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Do you have a lot of transactions to complete at City Hall? Do you know anyone who works as a City Government employee?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Since the first strikes happened on February 28, the joint military operations of the United States and Israel have heavily damaged the military, energy and government sites of the Islamic terrorist state of Iran. As the war with Iran has impacted the global economy and a new so-called supreme leader of Iran was selected, US President Donald Trump stated that the war is expected to end “very soon” but not at the end of this week, according to a news report by Kyodo News.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Kyodo News report. Some parts in boldface…
U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday the ongoing war with Iran is expected to be over “very soon” but ruled out the possibility of it coming to an end this week.
“We’re winning very decisively. We’re way ahead of schedule,” Trump, who had initially predicted the conflict could last four to five weeks, claimed during a press conference in Florida.
Trump’s remarks came after Iran selected Mojtaba Khamenei as its new supreme leader after his father was killed in the first wave of U.S.-Israeli strikes.
Khamenei, the late leader’s second son, is known for his close ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His rise to power has raised concern among many countries that the war, entering its second week, could further destabilize the Middle East and quickly ripple through the global economy.
While insisting that the United States has achieved an “unprecedented” military success, Trump said he was “disappointed” with Iran’s choice of supreme leader.
“We think it’s going to lead to just more of the same problem for the country,” he said.
Sending conflicting messages, Trump also warned that the United States will aggressively attack Iran if it attempts to block the world’s energy supply.
“We will hit them so hard that it will not be possible for them or anybody else helping them to ever recover that section of the world,” he said.
But he struck an optimistic note on oil prices, saying they would be much lower after the war ends. On disruption to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said the United States was less affected than China.
It seems that the joint Israel-America operations have achieved more than what was previously expected. The Islamic regime’s navy has been demolished, the air force crushed, and the oil refineries destroyed. It has also been reported that more military personnel of the regime have left their posts and moved out of the country using fake passports. The oppressed Iranians, meanwhile, should get more motivated to go out and protest as the regime’s military and police forces weaken.
Looking at the bigger picture, the massive devastation on the Islamic terrorist state made the leaders of Russia and Communist China worried. China needs oil from Iran while Russia needs Iranian-made weapons. Geopolitically, it’s like Trump’s America stuck two birds with one stone. In the case of Israel, Islamic terrorist groups are weakening now that the Islamic regime of Iran cannot support them. Going back to Iran, there are opportunities for the affected Iranians to move out of the country and enter Armenia as refugees. Already there are groups at the Armenian side of the border who intend to help Iranian refugees.
For more updates about what happened lately, watch the videos below.
Let me ending this post by asking you readers to pray to the Lord for victory, for the protection of the American and Israeli forces, for the safety of civilians everywhere, for the end of the Islamic terrorist regime of Iran to happen soon, and for the liberation of the oppressed Iranian people. Pray to Him to also bless US President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as their respective administrations. Pray to God for more peace and stability in the Middle East and for the stability of the global economy.
Since US President Donald J. Trump returned in 2025, there were significant revisions in America’s health standards with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) serving as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. One of the revisions tackled the dietary health guidelines which in turn created new opportunities in America that coconut oil exporters of the Philippines can capitalize on, according to a news report by the Philippine Star.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the report of the Philippine Star. Some parts in boldface…
Coconut oil exporters are upbeat that demand for the prized commodity in the US will increase after Washington revised its dietary health guidelines, promoting the consumption of healthy fats.
United Coconut Association of the Philippines (UCAP) said the latest 2025-2030 US Dietary Guidelines reflects a “symbolic” shift in Americans’ diet as it represents an “inverted” food pyramid, putting fats at the top.
Prior to the change, saturated fats, including coconut oil, have been demonized based on the prevailing Lipid Heart Theory claiming that saturated fats and cholesterol are the root causes of heart disease, said UCAP chairman Marco Reyes.
He pointed out that previous dietary guidelines, particularly the 2020-2025 edition, had explicit warnings on the consumption of fats, including coconut oil and recommended consumers to shift to vegetable oil instead.
But in the latest guidelines, such an explicit warning has been removed with the only discouraging factor to coconut oil remaining is the limit stated on the consumption of saturated fat, Reyes said.
The latest dietary guidelines emphasized that saturated fat consumption must not exceed 10 percent of total daily calories. Furthermore, consumers are advised to eat healthy fats which it noted are plenty in whole foods like meats, eggs, among others.
However, coconut oil is not categorically stated as part of the healthy fats. Despite this, Reyes noted that demand for the commodity will still increase since there are no more explicit warnings against coconut oil.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the latest health guidelines of America will actually lead to stronger demand for coconut oil from the Philippines?
In the view of the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P), the growth of the economy of the Philippines may slow down a bit further this year to 4.2%, according to a BusinessWorld news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from report of the BusinessWorld. Some parts in boldface…
PHILIPPINE ECONOMIC growth may likely be even slower this year, amid uncertainty over a “meaningful” recovery, the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) said.
In its February The Market Call, UA&P cut its full-year gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast to 4.2% from the “above 5%” forecast previously.
If realized, this will be even slower than the post-pandemic low of 4.4% GDP growth in 2025 when the flood control scandal dampened government spending and investments.
However, UA&P expects first-quarter GDP growth to pick up to 3.3% from 3% in the fourth quarter of 2025. If realized, it will be slower than 5.4% in the first quarter of 2025.
“More indicators revealed the impact of the flood control scandal, hurting economic growth in 2025 as sentiment points to a ‘muddling through’ scenario for 2026,” it said. UA&P said the government needs to ramp up spending to drive faster growth this year.
“While uncertainty over a meaningful economic recovery remains, we see some bits of light emerging,” it said.
“With inflation remaining in the lowest quarter of BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) target range, policy and interest rates declining, and the peso depreciating, consumer spending, residential property sales, car sales, equipment leasing and other interest-sensitive spending should provide better consumption expenditures in Q1,” it added.
Headline inflation picked up to 2% in January from 1.8% in December and 2.9% in the same month last year.
“A more optimistic PMI in January, along with expected increases in exports and remittances from overseas Filipinos, should be supported by the peso’s depreciation,” UA&P said.
The S&P Global Philippines Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to a nine-month high of 52.9 in January due to fresh export orders.
Last year, merchandise exports reached $84.4 billion, reflecting a 15.2% increase amid “holiday demand, US agricultural exemptions, and a weaker peso.”
Cash remittances coursed through banks hit an all-time high in December at $3.5 billion, bringing the full-year tally to a record $35.6 billion.
Meanwhile, the UA&P said that it expects further weakening of the peso after the BSP cut its policy rate by 25 basis points (bps) in February.
The Monetary Board lowered the target reverse repurchase rate by 25 bps to 4.25%, the lowest in over three years. This brought the BSP’s total reductions to 225 bps since it began monetary policy easing in August 2024.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you find the latest economic outlook of UA&P believable and precise? Do you think the fallout from the flood control corruption scandal still is dragging down the economic growth of the nation? Do you think the national government will be able to increase its spending this year?
Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following videos I found.
#1 A Notable, Dark Scene In The Godfather – Early this year, the lost world the legendary actor Robert Duvall who passed away at age 95. He truly was one of the greatest actors ever not only in Hollywood but in global cinema. I best remember Duvall as Tom Hagen in The Godfather and it just so happens that the film has a very notable deleted scene and if you read the novel focused on Jack Woltz, you will realize the darkness behind it. For your viewing, posted below is a video focused on Tom Hagen and Jack Woltz, and the deleted scene itself.
#2 The History Of Raccoon City And The Resident Evil Events –This year marks the 30th anniversary of the best-selling Resident Evil game franchise. Having played the first three Resident Evil games on PlayStation, Raccoon City was the hot spot of misadventures, zombie outbreaks, and criminal science. As more RE games got released, Capcom expanded the lore with background tales, audio recordings, artworks and more. If you want to dive deeply into the fictional history of Raccoon City and why its legacy is tied with the Umbrella corporation, go watch the video below.
#3 The Wholesome Hotel In Las Vegas – The first time I ever visited Las Vegas was in 1989. I was only 13-years-old back then and our family stayed in Circus Circus Hotel and Casino. Even though the hotel had gambling joints within, I still noticed how family-friendly the place was as it had an indoor circus venue, circus games, makeshift museums and a video arcade (where I played many classic arcade games). If there were any significant changes that happened through the decades, it would be the presence of an indoor amusement park with rides which reflects the hotel’s focus on attracting families and tourists who have limited budgets. Here’s another close look at Circus Circus in Las Vegas.
#4 Rushed And Incomplete RPGs – If there is any way to quickly describe a role-playing game (RPG) in video game format, it would be the fact that it was made to be lengthy and have a lot of content created for it. Like what happened in movies, productions of RPGs face similar problems with regards to lacking time and/or money which in turn would force the game makers to cut down their designs just to complete it. In the history of video games, the first PlayStation console was rich with RPGs in the late 1990s. Some of them turned out to be rushed and incomplete. To find out which ones, watch the retro gaming video below.
#5 Looking For “Luxury” Buffets In Japan? – With the Japanese Yen hovering about 150 per one American Dollar, a lot of foreigners find Japan a more affordable place to explore and experience. In certain places, tourists can find buffets that they consider “luxurious”. But what exactly makes a food joint luxurious and what would a traveler hope or want to eat there? Watch and learn from the Nippon TV video below.
#6 Eraser Revisited – Almost 30 years ago, the action movie Eraser (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger) was released in cinemas and I had a fun time watching it. When it comes to action film roles of Schwarzenegger, the US Marshal John Kruger was very unique to watch. It should be noted that James Cromwell had another schemer-type of role in the film. To discover more about the 1996 movie, watch the videos below.
Recently in the City of Las Piñas, the City Government (specifically the Las Piñas City Manpower Training Center) received from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) new training tools, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. Mayor April Aguilar led the ceremonial signing of the deed with TESDA officials.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from news report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…
The Las Piñas City Manpower Training Center (LPCMTC) received new tools and equipment following the signing of a Deed of Donation from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)–NCR and the TESDA Muntinlupa District.
Las Piñas City Mayor April Aguilar led the ceremonial signing with TESDA-NCR Regional Director Angelina Carreon, TESDA MuntiParLas Tapat District Director, TESDA-NCR Assistant Regional Director Gerardo Mercado, and LPCMTC head Engineer Noel Cuevas.
Aguilar said the event marked another milestone in strengthening the city’s technical and vocational training programs.
She said that various tool kits and equipment were awarded for use in LPCMTC’s training courses. These include equipment for assembling electronic products, solar night and post lamps, automotive servicing, cookery, bread making, and servicing consumer and industrial electronics modules and systems.
The mayor added that additional tools for preparing hot and cold meals were also provided.
Aguilar said that with improved training facilities and complete equipment, Las Piñeros are now better equipped to gain employment or start their own livelihoods.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Are you delighted that TESDA released new training tools to the City Government? Do you know anyone who took training courses with TESDA in the city?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) apprehended in Batangas a Chinese national who posed as a Filipino citizen, according to a news report by the Manila Bulletin. The suspect has a history of acquiring Philippine passports and a driver’s license in the country.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…
A foreigner has been arrested by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in Batangas for posing as a Filipino and for “fraudulently acquiring” Philippine documents.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado presented before the media on Tuesday, Feb. 24, the arrested foreigner who was identified as Chinese national Zhi Ling Guan. He said that Zhi admitted he is not a Filipino.
Viado said that Zhi also uses the aliases Shis Nengyuan and Mike Sy. The “fake” Filipino was arrested last Feb. 20 at the Batangas port, he also said.
Viado said that the Chinese national was using fraudulently his acquired Philippine passports and driver’s license using the name Mark Sy.
“Philippine citizenship is not a commodity that can be fabricated or acquired through deception,” Viado declared.
He warned: “Any foreign national who falsely claims to be Filipino and manipulates our systems to secure official documents will face arrest, detention, and deportation.”
He said the BI acted on the information it received from the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) which sought the verification of the identity of the person.
“Biometric checks and inter-agency verification established that the fingerprints appearing in identification documents under the name ‘Mike Sy’ matched those of Zhi Ling Guan, a Chinese national,” he also said.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? What do you think is the main reason the suspect used a fake identity and pretend to be a Filipino? Do you think the government should come up with stronger measures to prevent fraud committed by foreigners?
Author Carlo Carrasco 