BI nabs 'fake Filipino' suspect linked to Parañaque double murder

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The Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested a Chinese national on Sunday for allegedly acquiring and using a fraudulent Filipino identity, in a case linked by intelligence reports to the 2024 killing of two Chinese nationals in Parañaque City.

In a press release issued Monday, the BI said the suspect, identified as 36-year-old Yao Shucheng, was arrested early Sunday upon arriving at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 on a flight from Hanoi, Vietnam.

Yao reportedly used the Filipino alias “Lee, King Agbulos” and declared his birth date as March 20, 1992, instead of his actual birth date of March 20, 1990.

The BI said Yao had obtained an authentic Philippine passport using a birth certificate fraudulently acquired under his assumed Filipino identity.

“The case follows a series of similar cases involving foreign nationals suspected of using fraudulent Filipino identities that the Bureau has pursued in recent years,” the BI said.

Yao arrived in Manila at 6:40 a.m. on Nov. 8 aboard Philippine Airlines flight PR596 from Hanoi.

BI records showed that he last departed the Philippines on Feb. 21, 2025, and had been out of the country for nearly 21 months.

According to intelligence reports, authorities also uncovered links between Yao and a 2024 double murder in Parañaque City in which two Chinese nationals were gunned down.

The BI said the reported connection would be referred to the appropriate law enforcement authorities for further investigation.

Yao remains in BI custody pending immigration proceedings. The bureau said it would seek his deportation and permanent blacklisting, subject to any criminal charges or ongoing investigations.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the bureau would continue to pursue foreign nationals exploiting fraudulent Filipino identities.

“Fraudulent Filipino identities are not just a matter of false documents. They can be used to bypass our immigration controls, conceal a foreign national's true identity, and evade accountability,” Viado said.

“We will continue to identify and intercept those who attempt to exploit these schemes, particularly when intelligence points to possible links to serious criminal activity,” he added. — MCG, GMA News

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