Immigration: Traveler in viral '10 birth certificates' story had 'multiple red flags'
MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration on Monday said a woman whose story went viral after claiming that she was not allowed to board her flight to Taiwan for failing to present birth certificates to show her relationship to her sponsor had "multiple red flags" that led to her departure being delayed.
In its press release on the matter, the BI did not address whether the traveler had really been required to show 10 birth certificates of her ancestors, saying only that the incident is still under investigation.
"The traveler, who initially attempted to depart late last month, claimed she is traveling to Taiwan to visit a distant relative," the bureau said.
"However, the immigration officer noted that during the assessment, there was mention of a possible work in Taiwan. Said traveler also was unable to establish her relationship with her sponsor, and had numerous inconsistencies when asked about basic details about said sponsor."
The immigration bureau said the traveler also could not show that she had enough money to support her 14-day trip to Taiwan.
While the traveler was not identified, her sponsor, Ammie Liau, was interviewed on state-run PTV4 and said that the trip had previously been rescheduled because immigration officers said the traveler had to submit a photo showing her and Liau together to establish their relationship.
The traveler was eventually offloaded from the rescheduled flight.
"Where will we find (those documents)? Our grandfathers and grandmothers are already dead," Liau said in Filipino, adding there was no assurance that the traveler would be allowed to leave even if they comply. "More or less, the next time, they will ask for other requirements."
Immigration officers are authorized to ask travelers questions to screen for human trafficking and for people going to work abroad without registering with the government. According to a source at the BI, there is no standard set of questions that immigration officers can ask because each case is different.
Apart from long immigration lines, the prospect of being offloaded despite having legitimate documents has added to travelers' anxiety at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the country's main gateway.
"Travelers need not worry as long as they have the appropriate documents that match their actual purpose of travel," Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said in the release. "So many travelers are coming in and out of the country with no issues. Only those with conflicting documentation are subjected to further inspection."
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