By Christine Fabro
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) urged condominium building owners to report any illegal activities of aliens observed in their areas, especially those who run cryptocurrency scams.
This after Senator Risa Hontiveros, the Senate Committee on Women, Children, and Family Relations Chair, revealed that some condominium units in Metro Manila are being used for cryptocurrency scam operations.
“If there are illegal aliens in your vicinity, report them to immigration, or to the local law enforcement agencies,” BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said.
“Protectors of aliens doing illegal activities in the country are also liable by law,” he warned.
Tansingco said fighting trafficking is a “shared responsibility of everyone,” noting that both local law enforcement agencies and the BI experience difficulty in entering residential condominium buildings.
Further, he said failure to report such illegal activities could be considered as “harboring illegal aliens,” a criminal offense under the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940.
Violators of this act may face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. –ag
