THE Bureau of Immigration has advised foreign visitors to respect Philippine laws and not to be rude towards immigration officers as 74 foreigners were barred entry last year for being discourteous and offensive.
“The entry and stay of foreigners in the country is not a right but a mere privilege,” BI Commissioner Jaime Mo By Vito Barcelo rente said.
“Thus, they ought to show respect and courtesy to immigration officers upon their arrival in our ports of entry.”
The BI has been strictly implementing a policy to exclude or disallow the entry of foreigners who show disrespect or make offensive utterances to symbols of Philippine authority.
Morente said such ground for exclusion is listed under a memorandum order that then immigration chief Andrea Domingo issued on March 29, 2001.
BI port operations division chief Marc Red Mariñas said 74 aliens were barred from entering the country last year for being disrespectful to immigration officers.
Mariñas said Domingo’s memorandum provided not only for the exclusion of a rude foreign passenger but also his inclusion in the immigration blacklist that prevents him from returning to the Philippines.
“This is done to teach these arrogant and discourteous foreigners the lesson that ours is a sovereign country whose authority they should respect,” he said.
Aside from the 74 aliens who were turned back, there were several foreigners who were blacklisted after they have left the country, also because they were rude to immigration authorities in the country’s subport offices.
“An alien blacklisted for being rude may, however, request for his removal from the blacklist to the BI commissioner by citing meritorious reasons and apologizing for his misconduct,” he added.