THE Bureau of Immigration is drawing up plans on the impending retrenchment of at least 1,000 immigration workers hired under the contractual and job order schemes, which could paralyze the bureau’s operation.
A report from the bureau’s human resource division said only more than 200 out of the 1,000 BI employees will be rehired, as the Department of Budget and Management has yet to release the P1.2-billion fund set aside for the bureau’s 2017 budget.
The bureau needs at least P3- billion budget for the salaries, overtime fees and operational expenses of the agency, according to an immigration official who asked anonymity.
A memorandum order was issued directing all division, section and unit heads to submit the list of their confidential agents and job order personnel, requiring them to submit their civil service eligibility, diploma and transcript of records aimed at selecting who would be retained.
The agency will retrench more than 1,000 employees in the coming weeks after President Rodrigo Duterte disallowed the use of revenues collected from the bureau’s express lane fund to pay for the salaries and overtime fees of the affected contractual and job order workers.
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II has already asked Duterte to reverse his previous order in rejecting the use of express lane fund as it would severely affect the bureau’s mandate, particularly in the fight against international terrorism, foreign criminals and border control.
In defending affected BI workers, Aguirre said that to effectively deliver its mandate, which includes the enforcement of strict security measures at the country’s borders, the BI requires at least 4,000 workforce.
“However, its present filled-up position are 1,696 only, including the more than 900 CA and JO personnel,” he said.
As law enforcers and gatekeepers of the country’s borders, the BI personnel perform 24/7 duties and are virtually on-call. They do not have holidays and render round-the-clock duties, he said.
The express lane system has been in place for almost three decades now as it was introduced and established almost 30 years ago by the former commissioner Miriam Defensor-Santiago to minimize graft and corruption in the delivery of services.
The Immigration Officers Association of the Philippines said reducing the bureau’s workforce will paralyze its operations in international airports, subports, field offices and in the main office.