Immigration office denies corruption allegations

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) office at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) yesterday denied allegations that their personnel are extorting money from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), especially those bound for the United Arab Emirates.

"They are using our name," said Ferdinand Sampol, head supervisor of the BI-NAIA, in a phone interview with The STAR.

Sampol said that in the past, employees of airline companies assigned at the NAIA were investigated for extorting P5,000 to P10,000 from OFWs bound for Middle East countries saying the money is for "immigration fees."

"We are not the only government agency operating at NAIA. When these airline personnel extort money from OFW passengers, they say it is for immigration. But the immigration has never asked for such money," stressed Sampol.

"It is unjust on our part," he added.

The NAIA head supervisor said that up to now these OFWs have not presented any evidence against immigration personnel.

"Not even one of these complainants have proven that it is the immigration personnel who extort money from OFWs," he said.

In a recent news report, a new group of OFWs called Bagong Bayani Lakas ng Bayan (Bayanikasan) alleged that immigration employees stationed at the NAIA milk OFWs for "supporting pesos" though they already have proper documents.

Bayanikasan officials, who claim they have documents to prove their allegations, said they have informed Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Communities Heherson Alvarez about the alleged irregularities.

A formal letter of complaint and petition from 42 OFWs have been sent to Alvarez.

Edgardo Mendoza, chief of the BI’s Immigration Regulation Division (IRD) also denied the allegations.

"The sweeping accusation that immigration officials extort up to P5,000 from travelers is not only totally irresponsible but malicious and libelous presumably with the intent of cowing the Bureau into relaxing its requirements so that the illegal recruiters may continue with their illegal activities. The source at the Office for Migrant Workers Affairs must submit proof of this accusation in the spirit of justice and fair play," said Mendoza in his letter to Undersecretary Jose Brillantes and Peronila Garcia of the Migrant Workers’ Affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Brillantes and Garcia reportedly wrote to the BI on May 27 and June 5, respectively, about the allegations.

"The Bureau will not hesitate to prosecute erring immigration officials if there is any evidence to do so," Mendoza added.

Sampol, on the other hand, reiterated Mendoza’s statement that Filipinos going to Abu Dhabi and the UAE will be allowed to board the plane provided that they have a valid passport, a valid visa and round trip tickets.

Mendoza said the strictness of the immigration on requiring proof of financial capacity to visit another country who may be profiled as "tourist workers" is not a unilateral act of the immigration, but a result of representations made by the DFA, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and other government agencies.

Mendoza said the Bureau will no longer require any other documents to be submitted to avoid unjustified accusations of undue harassment and corruption.

The BI has also recommended that the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates be more circumspect in the issuance of visas vis-à-vis the bureau’s new policy on departure procedures.

They also asked the DFA to request from the Embassy a list of Filipinos issued with visitor’s visa from January 2000 up to the present so they can determine "how many really came back after their visit."