PHMANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) admitted Thursday that it is a “national security concern” when foreigners can acquire Philippine passports and other documents illegally to enter the country.
BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said all government agencies must work together to deal with the problem concerning the so-called “Chinese mafia.”
“We are thankful that lawmakers and law enforcement agencies are taking action against this scheme that we have previously sounded the alarm on. Our officers and agents have intercepted numerous such cases of foreign nationals pretending to be Filipinos by using different Philippine documents,” Sandoval said in a statement.
“We see this as a national security concern that should be addressed holistically by all government agencies concerned,” she added.
Previously, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers called on the BI, Philippine Statistics Authority, and local government units to catch members of the alleged syndicate.
BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said all government agencies must work together to deal with the problem concerning the so-called “Chinese mafia.”
“We are thankful that lawmakers and law enforcement agencies are taking action against this scheme that we have previously sounded the alarm on. Our officers and agents have intercepted numerous such cases of foreign nationals pretending to be Filipinos by using different Philippine documents,” Sandoval said in a statement.
“We see this as a national security concern that should be addressed holistically by all government agencies concerned,” she added.
Previously, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers called on the BI, Philippine Statistics Authority, and local government units to catch members of the alleged syndicate.