Immigration places two Chinese operating underground hospital for COVID-19 patients

May 28, 2020

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente on Thursday has placed the two Chinese suspects caught operating an underground hospital for COVID-19 patients in Pampanga last week in their alert list to prevent them from leaving the country.

"We have placed them on our alert list to prevent them from leaving the country and ensure their presence while they are undergoing criminal and administrative investigation for their alleged offenses," Morente said.

Morente said if  Liu Wei and Hu Shiling  were encountered at the airport they will not be cleared for departure and will be referred to the Bureau of Immigration’s intelligence and legal divisions for investigation.

On May 19, Liu and Hu were arrested after police raided  a seven-bed capacity clinic  inside the Fontana Leisure Park in Clark, Angeles City.

They were released on the same day without any charges filed against them.

Morente said the BI is conducting a separate investigation into the case of the two Chinese doctors caught operating in Makati City last Tuesday.

 “I have instructed our Intelligence Division to investigate if these alleged Chinese nationals are legally staying in the country.  Should we find they violated our immigration laws, they will be charged them with deportation cases before our law and investigation division,” he said.

The commissioner said the BI intelligence operatives were also ordered to locate the four Chinese COVID-19 patients who were undergoing treatment at the Clark clinic before it was raided

“Even if no criminal charges were filed against them, they can be charged for immigration law violations if we can establish that they violate the conditions of their stay in the country,” Morente said.

He stressed that if criminal charges are filed against the aliens, the BI will only deport them after their cases are resolved or they have served their sentences if convicted.

The BI Intelligence is doing case buildup activities to ascertain the true identities and visa status of the Chinese doctors and if they are related to the ones arrested in Pampanga. Ella Dionisio/ DMS