Mining exec fit, back in BI custody

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July 16, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — After a month-long hospitalization, suspected Chinese businessman Joseph Sy will be brought back to the Bureau of Immigration (BI) detention facility at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig.

Declared medically fit, the 61-year-old mining executive will be detained within the week.

Accused of being a Chinese national with fake Philippine documents, the chairman of Global Ferronickel Holdings Inc. was arrested on Aug. 21, 2025.

His real name is reportedly Chen Zhong Zhen.

The BI did not disclose details about Sy’s hospital confinement.

Judicial proceedings are ongoing after the Court of Appeals ordered Sy’s release, which the government is reviewing.

The BI has sought the assistance of the Office of the Solicitor General.

“The BI respects the judicial process and continues to study and pursue the appropriate legal remedies available under the law,” Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said. “Until the case is finally resolved, the bureau will continue to perform its mandate in accordance with existing laws and established legal processes.”