Photo credit: Philstar
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) will seek the assistance of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) following the Court of Appeals’ (CA) order for the immediate release of mining executive Joseph Sy from BI detention.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado confirmed that the agency had received a copy of the resolution from the CA’s Eighth Division, Philstar reports.
In its ruling promulgated Tuesday, the appellate court directed the BI and Sy’s custodian “to immediately release Joseph Cue Sy from detention, under pain of contempt, and to notify the Court of their action within five (5) days from receipt of the Resolution.”
“We will be coordinating with the OSG for available legal remedies,” Viado said.
Sy, who also goes by the Chinese name Chen Zhong Zhen, has been under BI custody since Aug. 21 after his arrest at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The BI had investigated him for allegedly acquiring his Filipino citizenship documents illegally.
Sy is the chairman of Gobal Ferronickel Holdings Inc. (FNI), the country’s second-largest nickel ore producer and a significant player in the global stainless steel supply chain.
“This clear directive from the CA not only reinforces the earlier Decision of the Regional Trial Court of Taguig City affirming Mr. Sy’s Filipino citizenship and declaring that the BI has no jurisdiction to detain him, but also supports the long-standing legal presumption in favor of his Filipino citizenship,” FNI said in its September 24 disclosure.
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