Global Ferronickel Holdings Inc. (FNI) announced that its detained chairman, Joseph Sy, has secured another legal victory after a Taguig Regional Trial Court (RTC) granted his urgent motion for release despite ongoing deportation proceedings initiated by the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, FNI confirmed that the court issued a writ of execution ordering Sy’s release from detention upon posting a court-approved bond. The RTC criticized the BI’s “glaring lack of execution” of an earlier Writ of Habeas Corpus and affirmed that Sy’s continued detention had no legal basis.
Sy, who was arrested by BI agents at NAIA Terminal 3 on August 21 after arriving from Hong Kong, is accused of misrepresenting himself as a Filipino citizen. The BI claims biometric records linked him to a Chinese national. However, Sy holds a Philippine passport, several local IDs, and has previously been recognized as a Filipino by multiple government bodies, including the DOJ, SEC, and the Supreme Court.
His legal counsel, Carla Santamaria-Seña and Dennis Manalo, emphasized that the court ruling confirms the BI’s lack of jurisdiction to detain or deport a Filipino citizen, citing longstanding jurisprudence that bars deportation of recognized citizens.
The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) also weighed in, expressing concern that Sy’s prolonged detention undermines investor confidence in the country. Sy leads a major initiative to shift the Philippines’ mining sector from raw exports to value-added processing—a multi-year, capital-intensive effort now potentially at risk.
PCCI warned that the case reflects broader issues in the country’s legal and policy consistency, which could further damage sectors like tourism and foreign investment.
FNI hailed the RTC ruling as a reaffirmation of Sy’s rights and called for the immediate implementation of the court’s order.
