Passport cancelation, deportation sought for 'Alice Guo 2.0' Joseph Sy

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December 15, 2025 | 1:34pm

MANILA, Philippines — 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?

Sen. Risa Hontiveros earlier flagged Sy for allegedly holding both a Chinese passport and a Philippine passport, given that China does not allow dual citizenship.

Sy was previously detained by the BI over questions surrounding his identity, but a Taguig court ordered his release.

The BI, however, has maintained that it has strong evidence against Sy and has elevated the matter to the Court of Appeals.

'Alice Guo 2.0.' Hontiveros first raised suspicions against Sy in August during a privilege speech, referring to him as “Alice Guo 2.0.”

Sy had earlier faced a deportation complaint in 2015, but the case was dismissed due to insufficient evidence.

He is accused of using a falsified Filipino identity while serving as a mining executive for Global Ferronickel Holdings Inc.

Business, security red flags. Sy is a member of the Philippine Silk Road Chamber of International Commerce, a group associated with the Communist Party of China.

When shown photos of himself at the Communist Party of China and World Political Parties Summit in 2021, Sy told lawmakers that he did not remember those pictures.

Hontiveros also accused Sy of using his companies to export Philippine raw nickel to China through a smelting firm, Guangdong Century Tsingshan Nickel Industry Co.

Another firm allegedly linked to Sy, Ipilan Nickel Corp., has been accused of mining in Palawan without proper permits.

PCG Auxiliary link, son under probe. Sy had also joined the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary, a volunteer organization supporting the coast guard .

The Philippine Coast Guard has admitted that it cannot rule out the possibility of a data breach.

At present, Sy’s son, Johnson Cai Chen, is also under Immigration investigation, being suspected of falsifying his Filipino birth records.