Metro Manila, Philippines – The Bureau of Immigration said it would comply with a Supreme Court order to release mining businessman Joseph Sy on a ₱900,000 bond, but insisted that the ruling does not settle allegations that he is a Chinese national using Filipino identity documents.
In a resolution dated Oct. 7, the Supreme Court First Division granted a preliminary mandatory injunction directing immigration officials to release Sy once the bond is posted. The court also ordered the bureau to submit a compliance report within 24 hours of his release.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said Monday, Oct. 12, that the bureau was coordinating with the Department of Justice and the Office of the Solicitor General to implement the directive.
“The Bureau of Immigration respects the Supreme Court’s resolution in directing the release of Joseph Sy upon compliance with the conditions set by the Court,” Viado said.
Sy, a former chairman of Global Ferronickel Holdings, Inc., was arrested at Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Aug. 21, 2025, upon his arrival from Hong Kong.
Immigration authorities alleged that his fingerprints matched those of Chinese national Chen Zhong Zhen, who previously held Philippine immigration records. The bureau accused Sy of misrepresenting himself as a Filipino and questioned the authenticity of his citizenship documents.
Sy has denied the allegations, maintaining that he is a Filipino citizen with a registered Philippine birth certificate and passport.
In September 2025, a Taguig regional trial court granted Sy’s habeas corpus petition and ordered his release, finding that immigration authorities lacked sufficient legal grounds to continue detaining him.
The Court of Appeals upheld the ruling in February 2026, emphasizing that Sy’s birth certificate, as an official public document, carries a presumption of validity.
Despite those decisions, Sy remained in immigration custody as the government pursued further legal remedies.
Viado maintained that the latest Supreme Court resolution addresses only the legality of Sy’s detention, not the underlying dispute over his citizenship.
“We wish to emphasize that the Supreme Court’s order concerns Mr. Sy’s release from custody while judicial proceedings continue. It does not constitute a final determination of the questions surrounding his citizenship and identity,” he said.
The immigration chief also defended the bureau’s investigation, saying it acted within its statutory authority to examine questions involving immigration status, identity and citizenship documentation.
“The legal issues arising from that investigation remain subject to judicial determination,” Viado said.
Senator Risa Hontiveros previously sought an investigation into Sy’s identity documents, raising concerns about possible irregularities involving citizenship records and foreign participation in the mining industry.
