CITING the results of its own initial investigation, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said there is no evidence that personnel of the agency are involved in the illegal exit of controversial dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo.
The BI made the statement after the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights continued the investigation in Guo’s previous escape.
In the hearing, the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) confirmed that the most probable mode of exit was via backdoor in the southernmost part of the country.
Bi spokesperson Dana Sandoval said that while private coastlines and airstrips are not manned by the BI and are under the monitoring of their local government units (LGUs) and the local law enforcement agencies (LEAs), the BI is deeply concerned that the country’s porous borders are being abused by unscrupulous individuals.
Aside from wanted personalities, the BI also previously reported backdoor exits of trafficking victims, who end up tortured working in scam hubs abroad.
It was learned that the IACAT conducted a November 2024 study on illegal backdoor routes and recommended better engagement of LGUs and LEAs with the IACAT in the implementation of anti-trafficking laws in the southern region.
