Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 14) — Some immigration officers (IO) have been slapped with complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman for inappropriate behavior in implementing departure protocols for Filipinos leaving the Philippines, the agency’s chief said on Thursday.
“May mga IO na kaming kinasuhan sa (Some of our IOs are facing complaints filed before the) Ombudsman because of their actions to defer the departure,” BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said during a coordination meeting with the NAIA Task Force Against Trafficking.
Tansingco, however, did not mention how many personnel were involved.
CNN Philippines also sought clarification from the BI regarding who filed the complaints, but it has yet to respond.
The BI has earned the ire of travelers following offloading incidents, with one senator previously describing its departure protocol as “unprofessional and inefficient.”
Posts about several travelers’ complaints have been circulating online, as immigration officers strictly implement protocols aimed at profiling possible victims of human trafficking.
Some of the complaints were about alleged extortion by one of its employees, and lengthy interviews, resulting in passengers missing their flights.
READ: BI addresses viral offloading, extortion complaints
“May mga IO na takot na mag-decide, but we thank the support of IACT (Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking) dahil may tinatakbuhan kami,” he said.
[Translation: There are IOs who are now afraid to decide, but we thank the support of IACT (Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking) because we can depend on them.]
“I could say that the BI is the most misunderstood government office, and the occupation of an immigration officer is the most hated job,” Tansingco added. “An IO is given only 45 seconds to decide whether to clear or defer the departure of a passenger. Given the additional mandate of IACAT to screen possible victims of human trafficking, the job of an IO becomes harder.”
Despite the “bashing,” Tansingco said they remain committed to ensuring Filipinos would not fall victim to trafficking syndicates.
Tansingco also said the government is beefing up measures against human trafficking, even tapping digital tools as he noted that the crimes are now being carried out in cyberspace.
To prevent long lines amid a jump in international passengers, he said they are constructing additional counters at the departure area.
“If before an immigration officer in one shift can process a maximum of 200 passengers, now it’s almost double,” he said.
