The group, comprised of eight Chinese and seven Malaysians, entered Filipino territory on two speedboats.
They were intercepted by the combined forces of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), Philippine Navy (PN), and Philippine Army (PA) while conducting patrols in the waters of Tawi-Tawi.
"We received information from the patrolling agencies that those arrested have been transported to Bongao for processing," said BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco, who assured that the fifteen illegal foreigners will be deported and also blacklisted from the country.
Upon verification in the BI's centralized database, it was confirmed that the arrested foreigners had illegally entered the country, as there were no records of their entry.
Tansingco believes that the foreigners entered the Philippines illegally to find work here.
(Photo from the Bureau of Immigration)
