(Photo courtesy of Senate PRIB)
Senator Risa Hontiveros on Thursday said she would seek an independent medical assessment of businessman Joseph Sy’s reported illness after he failed to attend a Senate hearing investigating his disputed Filipino citizenship and allegedly questionable government-issued documents.
Speaking to reporters following the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights hearing, Hontiveros said Sy’s lawyer informed the panel that his client had been rushed to the emergency room of Makati Medical Center despite confirming his attendance Wednesday night.
“Hindi pwedeng hindi siya humarap. Minsan pa uli, magiging impunity na yan (He cannot simply avoid appearing. One more time and that would amount to impunity),” Hontiveros said.
The senator said the committee was awaiting Sy’s medical certificate, which she planned to have examined by doctors at the Senate clinic to verify his condition.
According to Hontiveros, Sy’s legal counsel did not provide specific information about his illness, apart from suggesting that he might have been experiencing stress.
She emphasized that Sy must personally appear before the Senate committee completes its investigation into his citizenship claims and the documents he allegedly used to establish his Filipino identity.
Hontiveros also said the committee’s forthcoming report would identify possible negligence, irregularities or corruption involving government personnel who processed Sy’s late-registered birth certificate and other identification documents.
“Sino ang nagkamali? Sino ang nagkulang? Sino ang maaaring nagpabayad para nakuha ni Joseph Sy yung kanyang late registered birth certificate at yung mga passports na nagamit niyang lumakbay bago pa man niya na-late register ang kanyang birth certificate bilang Pilipino (Who made mistakes? Who failed in their duties? Who might have received payments to facilitate Joseph Sy’s late-registered birth certificate and the passports he used to travel even before registering his birth as a Filipino)?” she said.
The senator questioned how Sy obtained and used Philippine passports before his birth was registered in the country, saying the investigation must establish whether government officials failed to follow proper procedures or facilitated the issuance of questionable documents.
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) earlier reported that Sy’s fingerprints matched those of Chinese national Chen Zhong Zhen.
During Thursday’s hearing, BI Deputy Commissioner Joel Alejandro Nacnac confirmed the fingerprint match and acknowledged that immigration authorities discovered the conflicting identities only in 2025, despite records dating back to 1989.
The committee also learned that Sy’s Philippine birth certificate was registered only in 2007, when he was already 41 years old.
Hontiveros said these findings raised questions about the verification procedures used by government agencies responsible for civil registration, passport issuance and immigration records.
She stressed that the investigation should determine not only the circumstances surrounding Sy’s documents but also whether individuals involved in their processing should face administrative or criminal accountability.
The senator said the committee would recommend stronger coordination and information-sharing among government agencies handling birth certificates, passports and other identity documents to prevent similar irregularities.
The Senate investigation remains ongoing, with the committee seeking Sy’s personal testimony and further documentation before finalizing its findings and recommendations.
