BI orders probe on missing Chinese

BUREAU of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Siegfred Mison ordered an investigation on the unauthorized release from BI custody of at least 22 Chinese nationals who were arrested in Pasay City last week.

On July 21, some 191 foreign nationals were arrested in an office building in Pasay City for working as call center agents/online-gambling operators without a work permit.

Mison wanted to know why only 169 of the 191 foreigners were brought to the BI main office for inquest proceedings, said BI spokesperson Elaine Tan.

“This matter is taken very seriously by the Commissioner. He has ordered the concerned officers to submit a written explanation on the discrepancies in the number of apprehended subjects,” she added.

It was revealed that 21 of those released without authority were claimed to possess Cagayan Economic Zone Authority special visas (Ceza visas); one appeared to be unaccounted, or missing.

But, Tan said that, “Ceza visas are company- and station-specific.”

“Mere possession of this particular visa does not automatically absolve the holder of any liability under immigration laws. The company and the place of work must still be established in order to validate that the visa is legitimately used,” she said.

Upon investigation, 14 more foreign nationals were released from custody for presenting valid work visas.

A total of 155 foreign nationals were charged for working without permit, and subsequently transferred to BI’s holding facility in Bicutan, Taguig City, and at the Philippine Immigration Academy in Clark, Pampanga, for temporary custody pending deportation proceedings.