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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Mison warns airport ‘escorts’

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THE Bureau of Immigration warned that assisting passengers with questionable travel documents is tantamount to human trafficking and those found to be part of the so-called “escort” scam in all the airports and seaports will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

“I would like to remind the public of the ‘No Facilitation Policy’ in all the airports and seaports in the country,” Immigration Commissioner Siegfred Mison said. “We do not allow anyone to escort or facilitate departing and arriving passengers at any airport or seaport.”

The reminder came after an incident at the Mactan Cebu International Airport last June 21 where a certain Francisco Dalawampu, a retired Air Force officer wearing an Interpol shirt and an airport pass, attempted to facilitate the departure of two Filipinos bound for France who presented tampered documents.

Philippine Center on Transnational Crime Head Executive Assistant Alfredo Caballes, Jr. was immediately informed of this incident.

Similarly, on June 24, two PNP officers identified as Julius Enriquez and Deejay Domingo attempted to escort a departing passenger at the Kalibo International Airport.

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Records showed that the passenger they assisted had a previous deferred departure hit. A report from KIA said when immigration officers accosted Enriquez and Domingo, they even threatened the immigration officer enforcing the departure formalities.

When informed of the incident, PNP Aviation Security Group Director Francisco Balagtas immediately ordered the relief of PNP personnel at the airport pending an investigation.

“We have given strict instructions to our immigration officers in all our ports to immediately document and report instances of facilitation,” said Mison. “We do not tolerate such acts, and anyone caught facilitating travelers to avoid immigration inspection will be dealt with to the full extent of the law.”

 

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