BI to release Joseph Sy on SC order

The Supreme Court (SC) First Division has ordered the release of nickel businessman Joseph Sy, with the Bureau of Immigration (BI) saying that it will comply.

In a DZBB report from Manny Vargas on Tuesday, the SC ruled in favor of Sy’s petition for habeas corpus. Suspected of being a Chinese national parading as a Filipino, Sy was arrested by Philippine authorities in 2025 when he arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Hong Kong.

BI Commissioner Joel Viado said that the agency respected the SC’s resolution on the petition, but clarified that the Court did not settle the matter of Sy’s nationality.

“It is also noted that the case before the Supreme Court is an appeal in the Habeas Corpus Petition involving Mr. Sy, which only involves questions on legality of his detention, and not a determination on his citizenship,” Viado said in a statement.

“We are coordinating with the Department of Justice and the Office of the Solicitor General to ensure the prompt and orderly implementation of the Court's directive,” he added.

Judicial proceedings over Sy’s citizenship and identity continued. The BI exercised its mandate to investigate immigration matters, identity, and citizenship documentation.

“The legal issues arising from that investigation remain subject to judicial determination,” Viado said.

In February, the Court of Appeals ruled that the detention of the businessman was illegal.

Sy was arrested in 2025 after it was found that his biometrics matched those of a Chinese national. —Jean Mangaluz/LDF, GMA News