MANILA, Philippines – Detained mining tycoon Joseph Sy, who is facing deportation charges for supposedly falsifying his Filipino citizenship, has resigned as director of nickel exporting firm Global Ferronickel Holdings Incorporated (FNI), effective immediately, the company disclosed on Friday, December 26. 

“His decision was due to personal considerations and for the best interests of the company. The company expresses its appreciation for Mr. Sy’s service and contributions during his tenure,” publicly listed FNI told the Philippine Stock Exchange. 

The Bureau of Immigration said Sy has the same fingerprints as Chinese citizen Chen Zhong Zhen. He was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on August 21 for allegedly misrepresenting himself as a Filipino citizen. He is currently being held at the BI’s detention facility in Taguig City while his case is on appeal.

Sy’s resignation was announced 11 days after an embarrassing appearance before the Senate justice and human rights subcommittee chaired by Senator Risa Hontiveros, where he dodged questions about his citizenship due to his pending legal case.

When asked by Hontiveros basic questions of where he was born and where he grew up, Sy repeatedly said, “I can invoke my right to remain silent.”

“Humarap nga sa Senado ang mining businessman na si Joseph Sy, pero wala namang maayos na sagot! Lumaki din ba siya sa farm? Mining tycoon na nagpapanggap umano na Pilipino? Another Alice Guo na naman ba ito?” Hontiveros said after the hearing, referring to the dismissed mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, who was found guilty by a Pasig City court in November for human trafficking.

(Mining businessman Joseph Sy faced the Senate but failed to give good answers. Did he also grow up on a farm? A mining tycoon allegedly pretending to be a Filipino? Is this another Alice Guo?)

“Ang tanong ngayon: paano siya naging Pilipino? Bakit may Chinese citizen na may kapareho niyang fingerprints? Was his identity lawfully obtained or manufactured for special access? Hindi na sapat ang palusot. The abuse of our laws and our systems must end.” 

(The question now is: how did he become a Filipino citizen? Why does he have the same fingerprints as a Chinese citizen? Was his identity lawfully obtained or manufactured for special access? Excuses are not enough. The abuse of our laws and our systems must end.)

A Taguig City court and the Court of Appeals had ordered Sy’s release last September, but the BI has kept him under detention while it appeals the ruling of the CA. 

Sy went on leave as chairman of the board of Global Ferronickel after his arrest. Due to his mining expertise, he has served as director of mining for the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which has issued calls for his immediate release, saying his continued detention sends a bad signal to potential investors.

Global Ferronickel is the Philippines’ second biggest nickel ore exporter. Its subsidiary, Platinum Group Metals Corporation or PGMC, is the Philippines’ second largest nickel ore producer, accounting for around 12% of the total value of shipment of the country yearly from 2014 to 2024. It explores and mines for nickel mainly from Surigao del Norte in Mindanao. Sy became president of PGMC in July 2011 or 14 years ago. 

Global Ferronickel’s primary buyers are trading companies and end-users in China. Its Chinese customers use the nickel ore to produce intermediate products for the manufacture of stainless steel.

The Philippines is the second largest nickel ore producer in the world next to Indonesia. – Rappler.com