By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Alert Bureau of Immigration (BI) personnel foiled over the weekend an attempt to sneak through the Clark International Airport in Angeles City and Mabalacat, Pampanga three women who posed as singers bound for South Korea and were promised P40,000 monthly salary each.

In a statement on Monday (11 March 2024), the BI said the three victims and another woman attempted to fly to Thailand posing as a group of friends at the Clark International Airport.

But on secondary inspection, the three victims admitted that they were bound for South Korea as singers with a P40,000 monthly salary each.

They claimed that they were accompanied by their recruiter, who insisted that they pose as tourists and hide their destination despite their requests for a legal employment process.

The BI revealed the recruiter planned to escort the victims to South Korea before returning to the Philippines alone.

“There are numerous cases documented wherein victims are promised work as entertainers, but end up in prostitution. Aspiring workers should also protect themselves by ensuring that they only apply work through legal means,” BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco lamented.

He said the victims have now been referred to the CIA Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) which is set to file charges against their recruiter whose identity was withheld for the meantime.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — With the waning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) has acknowledged the increasing number of foreigners in the country as the government earned almost P16 million from this year’s annual report, compared to last year’s collection of only P11 million.

In a statement, the BI on Sunday (10 March 2024) said some 153,651 foreigners participated in the 2024 Annual Report from January 1 to March 1, 2024.

Bureau of Immigration (BI) Norman Tansingco noted that the number of foreigners was 13% higher than the 136,065 registrants in 2023.

He added that it was a “positive sign that more and more aliens are applying for residency in the Philippines,” unlike when only a few aliens visited the country.

“It was learned that the government earned almost P16 million from this year’s annual report, compared to last year’s collection of P11 million,” the BI noted.

The BI said 80% of the aliens were walk-ins or reported in person at BI field, extension, and satellite offices, as well as selected shopping malls in Metro Manila and elsewhere which were venues for this year’s annual report.

It clarified that only those aliens registered with the agency as immigrants and non-immigrants are required to make the annual report, not foreign tourists or temporary visitors.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Are the investigators of the International Criminal Court (ICC) really here in the country or not?

This is the nagging question that even the Bureau of Immigration (BI) could not ascertain following the proverbial alarm bell being rang by former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.

On Friday, Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesperson Mico Clavano said the BI could not verify whether personalities from the ICC seeking to investigate the Duterte administration’s “bloody drug war” have already entered the Philippines.

“Upon inquiry doon sa BI, kay Commissioner Norman Tansingco mismo, hindi po nila mabe-verify or ma-confirm kung pumasok nga ba talaga ‘yung mga taga ICC,” Clavano said.

However, he stressed that this is not a denial or a confirmation of the ICC’s presence.

“We’re also not admitting or confirming or acknowledging their presence here in the Philippines. Pwede din naman pong hindi totoo ‘yung balita na ‘yun,” Clavano further said.

(el Amigo/MNM)