The Taguig Regional Trial Court (RTC) has ordered the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to "immediately release" mining executive Joseph Cue Sy, chairman of Global Ferronickel Holdings Inc., after ruling that his detention was illegal.

In a decision dated September 4, RTC Branch 271, presided over by Judge Paz Esperanza Cortes, granted Sy’s petition for "habeas corpus," affirming that he is a Filipino citizen.

The court stressed that there was no legal basis for his continued detention or possible deportation, contrary to reports branding him as a Chinese national.

"The detention/deportation proceedings is, therefore, illegal and not within the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Immigration," the 35-page ruling read.

The court’s ruling directs BI officials, including Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado, Intelligence Agent Gene O’Brian V. Bermudo, and other concerned personnel, to release Sy from custody without delay.

The decision comes days after Senator Risa Hontiveros disclosed that Sy’s birth documents listed parents who do not appear in the records of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), fueling questions about the legitimacy of his citizenship.

Despite the controversy, the court sided with Sy, emphasizing that his detention lacked sufficient legal grounds.

Sy, also known as Chen Zhong Zhen, was arrested on August 21, 2025, at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) over allegations that he falsified his Filipino citizenship. His legal team immediately contested the arrest, insisting that he is a natural-born Filipino.

Earlier, Hontiveros likened the case of Sy to the former Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, who was found to be a Chinese national, Guo Hua Ping.

Meanwhile, the BI has yet to issue a statement on whether it will comply immediately with the court’s order or seek further legal remedies.