Manila, Philippines – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is reviewing its policy for departing travelers in response to numerous complaints of indiscriminate offloading of Filipino tourists in airports.
Immigration Commissioner Ricardo A. David Jr. said that an inter-agency body is now conducting the review prior to the issuance of new guidelines that immigration officers shall observe in processing departing travelers.
The panel is composed of representatives from the Department of Justice (DoJ), Department of Tourism (DoT), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), and the BI.
According to David, the technical working group was formed two weeks ago during a meeting of the Inter-Agency Committee against Trafficking (IACAT) chaired by Vice President Jejomar Binay. “The group was tasked to undertake a thorough study and review of our existing practices at the airports so that these complaints from the traveling public can be addressed,” the BI chief said. (Jun Ramirez)