Mining tycoon Joseph Sy to be released from BI detention under SC order

Chinese national Joseph Cue Sy attends the Senate probe on Filipino citizenship, the legality of mining and other issues, on March 9, 2026.

Angie de Silva/Rappler

Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado says the release of Joseph Sy allows him to leave custody while judicial proceedings continue as ordered by the High Court but 'does not constitute a final determination of the questions surrounding his citizenship and identity'

MANILA, Philippines – Former Global Ferronickel Holdings Incorporated chairman Joseph Sy is set to be released from immigration detention upon meeting the Supreme Court’s conditions, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Monday, October 12, while arguing that questions surrounding his citizenship remain unresolved.

Sy is the former chairman of publicly listed nickel exporter Global Ferronickel Holdings Incorporated. He was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in August 2025 upon returning from Hong Kong after the BI alleged that he was a Chinese national named Cheng Zhong Zhen who had illegally obtained Philippine citizenship documents. The bureau cited a fingerprint match with its records of a Chinese citizen.

A Taguig City Regional Trial Court ordered his release in September 2025, but the bureau kept him detained while pursuing its appeal. In February 2026, the Court of Appeals ordered his release, citing his valid Philippine birth certificate as prima facie evidence of citizenship.

Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the bureau was now coordinating with the Department of Justice and the Office of the Solicitor General for the “prompt and orderly implementation” of the directive.

Viado said the case before the Supreme Court involves an appeal concerning Sy’s habeas corpus petition, which challenges the legality of his detention but does not touch on the issue of his Philippine 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,” Viado said. “The legal issues arising from that investigation remain subject to judicial determination.”

Sy resigned as a director of Global Ferronickel in December 2025, citing “personal considerations.” He had earlier gone on leave as chairman following his arrest. – Rappler.com