BI lawyers linked to visa issuance to fake companies relieved from posts

Four immigration lawyers allegedly involved in the issuance of pre-arranged employment (9G) visas to fake corporations have been relieved, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced Thursday.

A 9G visa is required for foreign nationals to work in the country.

“Yes, they were relieved po doon sa position nila sa pag issue ng mga visa habang nag u-undergo po ng investigation,” Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(They were relieved from their position in issuing visas while undergoing investigation.)

“During the investigation po, pag may nakita talaga na sila ay may direct involvement doon sa hindi tamang pag i-issue ng mga visa na iyon ay sila po ay ire-rekomenda natin sa Department of Justice (DOJ) na makasuhan po at mabigyan ng appropriate sanctions ng DOJ,” she added.

(Should they be found to have direct involvement in the issuance of the visas during the investigation, we will recommend complaints against them before the Department of Justice (DOJ) for appropriate sanctions.)

Sandoval issued the remark days after Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday said that the BI legal department helped fake corporations get visas.

On Wednesday, the BI said it recommended the issuance of show-cause orders against the lawyers and the abolition of the Legal Division’s visa task force.

Meanwhile, Sandoval said that in December 2023, the bureau found that 459 applications that were issued visas were petitioned by fake companies. These foreign nationals were blacklisted by the BI.

“From there po nakita that there were 116 employers ‘yung mga kumpanya na peke and then tinignan po kung sino ‘yung mga abugado na nag proseso po nitong mga application na ito, as well as ‘yung mga agencies that lodged the application,” Sandoval said.

(From there, we saw that there were 116 fake employers and then we looked into the lawyers who processed their applications as well as the agencies that lodged the applications.)

“Kasi meron din po nga mga accredited agencies which are authorized to transact on behalf of foreign nationals. So pati po ‘yung mga agencies being possibly complicit to this,” she added.  

(Because there are accredited agencies that are authorized to transact on behalf of foreign nationals. So they may also be complicit in this.)

Sandoval said Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco committed to submitting a report on the investigation to the DOJ by the end of the month.

Meanwhile, Senator Grace Poe called on the DOJ to get to the bottom of the scheme and hold accountable any erring personnel, saying that the issuance is “alarming and poses peace and order threats.”

“We have witnessed how crimes related to POGOs continue to bring problems to our peace and order,” Poe said.

“These nefarious activities will remain unabated if personnel from no less than the Bureau of Immigration will keep the gates open to illegal foreigners,” she added. —Joahna Lei Casilao/ VAL, GMA Integrated News