The telco, a joint venture between Duterte crony Dennis Uy and China Telecom, is under scrutiny for alleged immigration violations involving foreign workers.

Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the arrested individuals lacked valid travel documents and were working under visas issued for different companies, constituting a breach of visa conditions.

“The foreign nationals failed to present valid documents and were found to be working under employers not covered by their visas,” Viado said. “Foreign nationals who wish to work in the Philippines must comply with our laws. Those who switch employers without proper authorization will face the full force of the law.”

The 39 arrested individuals were transferred to the BI detention center in Bicutan, awaiting deportation proceedings.

The operation followed weeks of surveillance and intelligence gathering by the BI in coordination with other agencies. It is part of a broader government crackdown on illegal foreign workers.

The raid came weeks after broadcaster Ramon Tulfo claimed DITO employed around 400 Chinese nationals in executive roles without proper working visas.

DITO, for its part, denied any wrongdoing, confirming that immigration officers visited its BGC office and that 39 foreign nationals connected to its accredited business partners were taken in for verification.

“These individuals are not DITO employees but are part of our partners’ teams providing technical support for our Stand Alone 5G network—under valid service agreements. Their presence is standard for projects of this scale and is covered by legal contracts and permits,” said DITO.

“We are confident that the ongoing review will confirm these individuals have the proper visas and work permits required by law,” it added.