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Passport cancelation, deportation sought for mining exec Joseph Sy
The Freeman
|December 16, 2025
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is seeking the cancelation of the Philippine passport and the deportation of mining executive Joseph Sy, whom authorities suspect of falsifying identity records to present himself as a Filipino—similar to the case of disgraced mayor Alice Guo.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the agency is pursuing to revoke Sy’s passport after establishing that he shares the same fingerprints as a Chinese national named Chen Zhong Zhen.
Viado added that based on immigration records, Chen Zhong Zhen had admitted that he was Joseph Sy.
However, the Joseph Sy who appeared before the Senate declined to confirm whether he was Chen Zhong Zhen.
Sy appeared at the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights hearing on Monday, December 15, but refused to give direct answers to several questions from senators, including basic details such as where he was born and what school he went to.
WHO IS JOSEPH SY?
This story is from the December 16, 2025 edition of The Freeman.
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