THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) has placed on heightened alert its personnel in different international airports and seaports to thwart the possible entry of foreign terrorists in the wake of the bomb attack in Jolo, Sulu.
The two explosions claimed the lives of at least 20 people and injured more than a hundred others.
“I have instructed our port operations division to alert all its personnel and be on the lookout for suspected foreign terrorists who might attempt to enter the country,” BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said in a statement.
He said immigration officers assigned at the ports have been instructed to be vigilant in screening arriving foreign travelers to make sure that they have legitimate purposes.
“Those who cannot satisfactorily explain their purpose in coming here are to be turned back and booked on the first available flight to their port of origin,” Morente said.
The BI chief issued the statement after the Islamic State for Iraq and Syria (ISIS) claimed responsibility for Sunday’s terror attack, although local authorities doubted the claim.
BI port operations chief Grifton Medina disclosed that in compliance with Morente’s orders, he has directed all immigration officers conducting primary inspection of passengers in the ports of entry to be extra meticulous in performing their tasks.
“They were reminded to make sure that only aliens who are properly documented and are legitimate travelers with valid reasons,” Medina said.
Medina said that aside from BI officers performing primary line duties, he also instructed members of the travel control and enforcement unit (TCEU) and border control and intelligence unit (BCIU) to be extra vigilant in the conduct of their functions.
TCEU personnel are responsible for conducting secondary inspection of passengers while the BCIU is manned by intelligence personnel tasked to monitor passengers acting suspiciously.
Medina also revealed that local and international intelligence agencies share their database with BI to help detect suspected terrorists. (Jun Ramirez)
