IMMIGRATION Commissioner Norman Tansingco announced that the Bureau of Immigration (BI) is now coordinating with at least three or four countries for the purpose of data sharing and lessening the number of aliens who are fugitives from justice.
Speaking at the first year anniversary of the “MACHRA Balitaan sa Harbor View’ held by the Manila City Hall Reporters Association, Tansingco, who graced the forum along with his spokesperson Dana Sandoval, said there have already been communications with three countries so that the Bureau of Immigration (BI) will be able to get hold of information regarding their nationals who have pending cases or are considered as flight risks.
Tansingco noted that more often than not, aliens with cases abroad come to the Philippines to evade prosecution in their own country.
The BI personnel, on the other hand, seeing no problem with their documents and having no record at hand, allow these aliens unhampered entry into the country, only to become fugitives of justice later on.
He also noted that there are 157 countries whose nationals are allowed to enter the Philippines without the need for visa.
The BI chief bared that his office had already coordinated with three or four embassies to propose a data sharing arrangement so that those with the intention of escaping the law may be stopped right in their tracks.
He said that if the BI has complete records of said foreign nationals facing charges in their own countries, they can be barred entry right away, on the ground that they will just become fugitives from justice in the Philippines.
“Para di na sila makapasok. Makakatulong ito sa ating bansa, makakatulong din sa kanilang bansa,” he said.
