COTABATO CITY — Nine Chinese men working without written permits in a small mining company in Bagumbayan town in Sultan Kudarat were arrested last week in a joint operation by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the Army’s 7th Infantry Battalion.
Officials of the Army’s 603rd Infantry Brigade and its mother-unit, the 6th Infantry Division, told reporters on Sunday that the foreigners have passports, but are bereft of proper working permits, which is a violation of the Philippine Immigration Act.
Brig. Gen. Michael A. Santos, commander of the 603rd Infantry Brigade, said they did not immediately publicize the operation to allow the BI to determine their exact identities and how they were recruited by the mining firm.
The BI immediately took custody of the nine Chinese nationals, according to Mr. Santos. — John Felix M. Unson
