THE Supreme Court has ordered the immediate release of businessman Joseph Cue Sy, the former chairman of listed Global Ferronickel Holdings Inc., accused of having falsified his citizenship.
Sy, alleged to be a Chinese national, will have to post a P900,000 bond. The high court said its release order did not resolve questions surrounding his citizenship and identity.
In an Oct. 7 resolution, the Supreme Court’s First Division granted a writ of preliminary mandatory injunction in consolidated cases involving Sy’s detention and ordered Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado and other immigration officials to release him upon proof that the required bond had been posted.
The Court also directed the respondents, including the official in custody of Sy, to submit a written compliance report within 24 hours after his release.
The cases stemmed from a petition filed by incumbent Global Ferronickel Chairman Dante R. Bravo, who sought relief on Sy’s behalf, and another filed by Viado and other BI officials against Bravo. The Court consolidated the two cases and assigned them to the member-in-charge of the lower-numbered case.
In a statement on Monday, Oct. 12, Viado said the BI respected the Supreme Court’s resolution and was coordinating with the Department of Justice and the Office of the Solicitor General to ensure the prompt and orderly implementation of the directive.
“The Supreme Court’s order concerns Mr. Sy’s release from custody while judicial proceedings continue,” the BI chief noted, reiterating that the questions surrounding Sy’s citizenship and identity remain unresolved.
Sy was arrested in August last year and remains in custody despite release orders issued by a regional trial court and the Court of Appeals. His arrest and detention were criticized by business groups who said it would harm the country’s investment climate.
