Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan talks with the Chinese national (left) who, along with six Filipinos arrived at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport from Manila with a falsified Letter of Acceptance. | Photo from the Lapu-Lapu City PIO
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines – Six Filipinos and one Chinese national were being held at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) this afternoon, January 13, 2021, after authorities discovered that their Letter of Acceptance from the Lapu-Lapu City Government was falsified.
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan said that the city’s personnel assigned at the airport to check the documents of travelers are the ones who discovered the fake document.
“Nakita sa atong mga workers nga ang maong Letter of Acceptance is fake. Makita ang format nga dili mao, dili pareha sa atoa,” Chan said.
The apprehended Chinese national, identified as Yao Cuizon, said in an interview that he didn’t know that the document was fake.
He added that they only paid a certain Raymond Tan, who is also a Chinese national, to process their document so that they can come to Cebu.
“Akala ko totoo yan, hindi ka alam yan,” Cuizon said.
Cuizon revealed that they traveled to Cebu from Manila to install aluminum signages and that the six Filipinos who were apprehended with him were his workers.
Mayor Chan also revealed that the Chinese national has spent P10,000 for the processing of the Letter of Acceptance.
The mayor also advised those who want to travel to Lapu-Lapu to transact directly with the city, through the city government’s website or hotline.
The seven individuals were already brought to the Lapu-Lapu City police station 5 for proper disposition and documentation.
Lawyer James Sayson from the City Legal Office said that the individuals will face charges for falsification of a public document, which has a fine of P1 million and a minimum imprisonment of six months.
He also urged the police to dig deeper into this case for possible additional charges against the suspects./rcg