just an FYI, this doesn't mean this person is close to approval. it is common for some visa offices to request the passport at the BEGINNING of the process. i believe, Manila is one of the visa offices which holds the passport for 4-5 months before the applicaiton is actually processed and approved. to know for sure, the manila thread would be helpful in confirming this fact. Generally, when it comes to super quick, fast tracked processing, the applicant is visa exempt or is being processed at an office that handles mostly visa exempt applicaitons (ie: London, syndey, ottawa, etc).
