A Chinese national described by authorities as “high-profile” was arrested at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 for allegedly posing as a Filipino and using Philippine documents despite being a Chinese citizen.
In a statement, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said its Intelligence Division arrested 40-year-old Ronxuan Cai on the afternoon of Holy Monday, March 30, upon his arrival from Sepang, Malaysia.
According to Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado, authorities are investigating Cai’s alleged ties to several Chinese organizations in the Philippines, including the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
“We have received validated information from government intelligence forces that Cai has links to the United Front Work Department of the CCP,” Viado said.
Viado added that information from the Armed Forces of the Philippines Intelligence Service also pointed to Cai’s alleged connections with Chinese nationals previously apprehended for espionage activities in Palawan.
The immigration chief described the arrest as a “high-profile case” due to the suspect’s alleged influence and network in the country.
Authorities said Cai had been presenting himself as Peter Buenaobra Zhuang and had been actively using a Philippine passport for travel.
The BI said the suspect was also found to have used other Philippine-issued documents, including a driver’s license, birth certificate, and marriage certificate, despite allegedly being a Chinese citizen.
Investigators compared Cai’s biometric records with those under the name Peter Buenaobra Zhuang and confirmed that both identities belonged to the same person, according to Viado.
Cai remains under BI custody while charges are being prepared against him.
