MANILA, Philippines — The Senate on Monday launched an inquiry into the alleged misuse of Republic Act 7919, or the Alien Social Integration Act, in the acquisition of Philippine citizenship by a Chinese citizen identified as Joseph Sy. Lawmakers raised concerns over a possible systemic failure in identity verification and weaknesses in coordination among government agencies. Sen.Risa Hontiveros raised the issue as she opened the hearing of the Justice and Human Rights Committee subcommittee on the “Case of Joseph Sy, citing findings that questioned how Sy became a Filipino citizen and whether the process was lawfully carried out. “We convene this hearing because of Joseph Sy – na tinagurian na ng media bilang Alice Guo 2.0 (We convene this hearing because of Joseph Sy – already dubbed by the media Alice Guo 2.0),” Hontiveros said. She said the core question centered on Sy’s citizenship, noting that the Bureau of Immigration (BI) has reported that the fingerprints appearing on Sy’s Philippine passport matched those of Chen Zhong Zhen, a Chinese who applied for amnesty under the Alien Social Integration Act, which granted amnesty to foreigners who entered the country before 1992. “Ang tanong ngayon: paano siya naging Pilipino (The question now is: how did he become a Filipino)? Was his identity lawfully obtained or manufactured for special access?” Hontiveros asked. The senator said the case went beyond paperwork concerns, pointing out that Sy’s child allegedly holds two identities, two citizenships, and two passports. “Samakatuwid, hindi lang ito simpleng usapin ng pag-file ng papeles (Therefore, this is not just a simple matter of filing documents),” she said. Hontiveros added that Sy’s presentation as a Filipino citizen allowed him to associate with the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary, an institution that works alongside the country’s maritime security apparatus, and to engage in sectors such as mining and resource extraction. She warned that the case reflected a broader pattern in which foreign fugitives, economic criminals, and syndicate-linked individuals exploited weaknesses in Philippine documentation systems, inter-agency coordination, and humanitarian frameworks. “The common thread running through these cases is the misuse of Philippine institutions,” Hontiveros said. Sy has been under the custody of the BI since Aug. 21 after being arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Terminal 3. He was the subject of a BI investigation over his alleged illegal acquisition of Philippine documents.