Court affirms citizenship of mining mogul Joseph Sy, orders release
Metro Manila, Philippines - A local court has ordered the release of mining magnate Joseph Sy from the custody of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) as it affirmed his Filipino citizenship.
In an order dated Thursday, Sept. 4, Taguig Regional Trial Court Branch 271 Presiding Judge Paz Esperanza Cortez granted the petition for writ of habeas corpus in favor of Sy, chairperson of listed Global Ferronickel Holdings Inc. (FNI).
The petitioner was Dante Bravo, FNI president and chairman after Sy’s leave of absence.
“The detention/deportation proceedings is, therefore, illegal and not within the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Immigration,” Cortez wrote in the 35-page decision.
In a statement on Saturday, Sept. 6, Sy’s legal counsels said the ruling was a personal vindication for their client.
“It is a resounding reminder that Filipino citizenship cannot be stripped away by speculation, recycled cases, or administrative overreach,” they said.
“The BI must now heed the Court’s order with dispatch and ensure that Mr. Sy is not held for a moment longer,” they added.
On the other hand, Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the bureau, with guidance from the Department of Justice, has appealed the order to the Court of Appeals, and is awaiting its resolution.
Sy was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on Aug. 21, and detained at the BI facility at Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City pending deportation.
The BI said it received information that Sy was using illegally acquired Philippine documents, adding his fingerprints matched those of Chinese national Chen Zhong Zhen.
But in the court decision, Cortez said the BI has no evidence substantiating the certification providing for the actual biometric records of Sy and the Chinese national Chen Zhong Zhen in initiating deportation proceedings against the businessman.
The court said there was no proof of the existence of the Chinese national and his citizenship. The biometrics or fingerprint records of both the Chinese national and Sy were also not submitted to the court.
“Therefore, as between birth certificates and passports of Joseph Cue Sy and the Alien Certificate of Registration (ACR) ICard, the former are of more weight than the latter. They are actually of SUPERIOR weight, not just substantial,” Cortez said.
Viado said the BI respects the court’s ruling but it “maintains that there is strong evidence against Chen, supported by BI biometric records.”
“We trust that the courts will continue to review and resolve this case with utmost diligence and integrity, to ensure the protection of national security and the rule of law,” Viado said.
The FNI has previously denied the allegations that Sy was an “overstaying alien,” and that he is a Filipino citizen that has never been involved in any criminal activity.
In a privilege speech, Sen. Risa Hontiveros called for a deeper Senate investigation on Sy, as she flagged what she called “suspicious” activities and connections linked to the businessman.
