Removal from BI blacklist offered for up to P5 million –anti-crime watchdog

An anti-crime watchdog on Tuesday said they received reports of online offers of removal from the Bureau of Immigrations (BI) blacklist for P1 million to P5 million.

During a Senate Public Order and Dangerous Drugs Committee hearing, Movement for Restoration of Peace and Order (MRPO) Chairperson Ka Kuen Chua testified that the offers were posted on social media.

“We received reports of advertisements offering to lift immigration blacklist for a fee of P1 million to P5 million were circulating in Chinese social media platforms,” said Chua.

“These kinds of anomalies in the Bureau of Immigration must be investigated and those responsible must be removed from service.”

During a previous Senate hearing on POGO-related abductions, the Justice Department emphasized that undocumented aliens would be deported.

Aside from this, Chua also alleged that the granting of visa-on-arrival privileges, illegal work permits, illegal safehouses, and slave labor dens were “under the protection of authorities.”

“There are claims that dens of iniquity, especially those in Cavite and Pampanga are under the protection of police officials. Furthermore, victims that we have assisted claimed that police personnel served as their guards, but we have yet to confirm the veracity of their claims,” Chua said.

“Also, in some instances, victims we assisted who were so eager to file a case, later on wanted to retract their case. And it is claimed that their affidavits of desistance were prepared either by the police or by the prosecutors themselves,” he added.

Asked for comment, the Cavite Police public information office denied the allegations.

“The Cavite Police vehemently deny the alleged involvement of any police personnel posting as security escorts of the POGO facilities more so influencing any victim/s to withdraw their charges on any POGO related incident,” the Cavite Police told GMA News Online in a message.

GMA News Online had also sought comment from the BI and Pampanga Police, but they have yet to respond as of posting time.

Meanwhile, during the Senate hearing, the BI said 255 of the over 360 POGO workers that were turned over to them from September to October 2022 had been deported.

The remaining POGO workers were still undergoing the process for deportation.

Committee Chair Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa urged the BI to go after the 35,000 Chinese nationals whose visas had expired.

The BI said they would check with the division offices for an update on the deportations. — DVM, GMA Integrated News