MANILA — Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Thursday lauded the Bureau of Immigration’s move to deport the 73 Chinese nationals who were arrested more than a month ago in Ilocos and Metro Manila for their involvement in telecom fraud.
“I congratulate the good men and women of our Bureau of Immigration under the leadership of Commissioner Jaime Morente for their dedication in ensuring the apprehension and deportation of these fugitives. Good job,” Aguirre said in a statement.
Aguirre also warned warned foreign fugitives that the Philippines is no haven for them.
“Let this mass deportation of the 73 Chinese fugitives back to China serve as constant reminder to all foreign fugitives that the Philippines is neither a haven nor a sanctuary for you. Fugitives are not welcome here. We will catch you and we will bring you to justice,” the Justice Secretary noted.
Aguirre also reminded the immigration officers who are manning our departure counters in all international airports to fully support and to totally implement the ‘no travel authority, no travel’ policy of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, for all government employees.
“There will be no sacred cows and no special favors will be granted in our implementation of this order,” he noted.
On Monday night, BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the 73 Chinese has deported boarded a chartered flight of the China Eastern Airlines to Tianjin, China from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
He noted the foreigners were expelled pursuant to a summary deportation order that the BI Board of Commissioners issued against them for being undesirable aliens as all of them are fugitives who are wanted for economic crimes by Chinese authorities.
“They are also undocumented aliens because the Chinese government already cancelled their passports,” Morente said.
The BI chief added that the mass deportation also aimed to declog the bureau’s backlog of deportation cases and hasten the implementation of deportation orders.
The deportees were among the more than a hundred Chinese and Taiwanese nationals arrested in raids by joint operatives of the BI and the Philippine National Police (PNP) anti-cybercrime group in San Vicente, Ilocos Sur and Las Piñas City last January 13. (PNA)
