‘Deaf’ traveler caught with fake Philippines passport

MANILA, Philippines — A traveler who claimed to be deaf was arrested upon his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 from Bangkok, Thailand yesterday morning when he presented a fake Philippine passport.

The passport indicated the traveler’s name as Sengaloun Phimpa.

Immigration officer Cristine Niepes said she had subjected the passport for tertiary inspection with the Bureau of Immigration (BI)’s forensic documents laboratory after finding inconsistencies in the document.

Results of the forensic inspection showed that the passport was fraudulent and had a counterfeit immigration stamp and Thai visa.

Phimpa was found to be carrying Philippine taxpayer’s and postal identification cards and Thai identification papers.

“We have reason to suspect that this man is pretending to be deaf to avoid having to speak Filipino,” BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said.

Tansingco said that Phimpa’s case will undergo further investigation. If it is proven that Phimpa is a foreigner, he will be transferred to the BI detention facility at Camp Bagong Diwa while he awaits deportation, he added.

An immigration expert told The STAR that the traveler used a fake Philippine passport to hide in the country “because he may have a case in Thailand.”