SEN. Nancy Binay has urged the government to tighten the vetting process for foreigners applying for special resident retiree visas (SRRV).

Binay made the appeal to the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) following the arrest of four members of an alleged Chinese syndicate who are SRRV holders.

PRA records show that about 78,000 foreign retirees in the Philippines and about 30,000 Chinese "retirees" have been allowed to reside permanently in the country.

Binay said the PRA should tightly screen applicants amid the arrest of alleged members of a Chinese "mafia" using passports with SRRVs.

"Visa fraud and fake identities adversely impact national security," Binay said in a statement on Sunday.

"What's largely alarming is the PRA policy of allowing Chinese SRRV applicants who are 35 years old, which can be categorized as 'soldier's age,'" she said.

"What is the monitoring mechanism of the PRA to check if these 'retirees' together with those who pose as 'investor-class immigrants' are really legit," Binay said.

The Bureau of Immigration last week arrested four Chinese suspected of being behind the proliferation of fraudulently acquired government-issued IDs and documents, including Philippine passports with questionable SRRVs.

"This is very alarming since these foreign nationals enter and exit the country using valid documents that we know were obtained through illicit ways," Binay said.

The senator said she expects the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency "to help assess the scale of fraud perpetrated by these syndicates and check the addresses and contact numbers provided in their 'valid' documents."

She said the issuance and renewal of special resident retiree visas "have long been exploited."

She said that Chinese syndicates have likely connived, maintained ties and established networks within the government bureaucracy.

"The growing number of interceptions of Chinese nationals presenting authentic government-issued Philippine documents identifying them as Filipino traders or retirees has now become a national security concern," Binay said.

The National Bureau of Investigation in 2023 arrested a high-ranking PRA official for issuing unwarranted SRRV cards to foreigners.

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