By Ferdinand Patinio/Philippine News Agency
MANILA — Bureau of Immigration (BI) personnel in all the international airports and seaports starting Monday are on heightened alert in anticipation of the influx of passengers who would travel in and out of the country during the Lenten break.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente has ordered the deployment of over 50 immigration officers to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to man the immigration booths in the arrival and departure areas.
“I have also directed our Port Operations Division (POD) to implement stricter measures in screening all arriving and departing passengers and to ensure that enough manpower is available in our airports to service the needs of the traveling public,” he said in a statement.
The additional immigration officers temporarily reassigned to the NAIA are from the main office and the different field, satellite and extension offices of the BI nationwide.
Meanwhile, in response to the BI chief’s order, BI POD chief Grifton Medina issued a memorandum banning all BI airport personnel from going on leave from April 8 to 22.
“Except for meritorious or emergency reasons, no applications for vacation leave will be entertained or acted upon by his office during the 10-day period,” he said.
The order also covers terminal heads and duty supervisors.
“We have also instructed members of our travel control and enforcement unit (TCEU) and border control and intelligence unit (BCIU) to double their vigilance during this critical period,” Medina said.
TCEU and BCIU personnel at the airports assist BI frontline officers in monitoring arriving foreigners to prevent the entry of undesirable aliens into the country.
Medina said these personnel also remain on the lookout for suspected human trafficking victims so that the latter are prevented from departing for their foreign destinations.
“We assure the public that we will do our best to foil attempts by these syndicates to take advantage of the holidays in sneaking their victims in or out of the country,” Medina said.
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