28 Immigration officers being probed for alleged involvement in trafficking of 44 Filipinos to Syria: Immigration bureau

(Eagle News) — Twenty-eight Immigration officers are being investigated for their alleged involvement in the trafficking of 44 Filipino women to Syria.

Immigration chief Jaime Morente added that he has also ordered the immediate creation of a fact-finding committee to find out how the victims were able to depart the Philippines.

“I am at a loss for words from what I heard. Ako sa totoo lamang ay nahihiya. I am disappointed and frustrated about the alleged involvement of BI personnel in these nefarious activities…We hope that through this investigation, we can finally be rid of this by pulling it from its roots,” he said.

He said that the bureau has also already requested the help of the Department of Justice.

Morente made the statement as the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality resumed its hearing on alleged corruption in the bureau.

Senator Risa Hontiveros had said that some Immigration officials receive P50,000 for every Filipino trafficked out of the country.

She cited the account of one of the victims of a trafficking operation to Syria in making her  statement.

“The alleged involvement of a handful of immigration personnel with such schemes give the BI a bad name. It is unfair to many good immigration officers who perform their jobs religiously and faithfully, especially those involved in activities of the IACAT (Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking),” Morente said.

He noted that from 2017 to 2020, a total of 112,033 Filipinos were stopped from leaving the country for attempting to leave with improper documents.

He said in the same period, a total of 1,070 victims were also referred to the IACAT for being possible trafficking victims.

Morente said that while the bureau has dismantled the pastillas scheme since last year’s Senate inquiry and put in place safeguards, a long-term solution would be passage of the new immigration law.

“The new law is a game change, as it will address so many problems of the Bureau. Apart from updating an already outdated 81-year-law, it will address organizational structure issues, improve employee compensation and most importantly vest the agency head a disciplinary mechanism to be able to swiftly act on reports of irregularities,” Morente said.

He said as for those who would be found guilty of trafficking Filipinas, “as already proven in the past, we will not hesitate to make them face the harshest penalties.”