MANILA, Aug. 13 — Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II ordered the Bureau of Immigration to double the efforts in investigating and providing assistance to their foreign counterparts in going after fugitives from law.
Aguirre made the statement after he received recently an award from the Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States for his exemplary service and assistance on their investigations against fugitives.
The certificates of recognition were given during the Foreign Law Enforcement Community in the Philippines (FLEC-P) consultative meeting organized by the Bureau of Immigration last Aug. 7.
The DOJ chief was also recognized by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations for supporting and contributing to the arrest and deportation of several US fugitives involved in human trafficking and child exploitation.

The DOJ Secretary was also recognized by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China for his assistance in the apprehension and the eventual deportation of some Chinese fugitives who were caught in the Philippines.
“We are thankful for the recognition of our efforts. These awards are the product of the collaborative efforts of the good men and women of the Bureau of Immigration, I am just accepting the award on their behalf,” Aguirre said in a statement.
“These awards will inspire us to double our efforts to ensure that the Philippines will not be a haven for fugitives from other countries,” he added. (PNA)