The Bureau of Immigration, stepping up its campaign against illegal or overstaying foreigners arrested 30 Indian nationals who were found to be undocumented.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said that the bureau has adopted numerous changes to “ensure that only the legitimate and properly documented foreign nationals may stay in the country.”
The BI chief also warned all foreigners in the country to correct their documents or face outright deportation and will be included in the bureau’s blacklist order.
The arrested 30 undocumented Indian nationals tried to resist arrest by attacking the arresting authorities with bladed weapons at the Capitol Estate, Diliman, Quezon City, the BI chief said.
“They were resisting arrest, even assaulting our Intelligence agents,” Morente said.
“Found in their possession were several sharp objects and weapons such as machetes,” Morente said.
BI Intelligence Division Chief Fortunato Manahan, Jr. said that their agents were assaulted and chased with machetes by the illegal aliens during the operations.
“Thankfully no one got hurt. The incident shows the risks that we encounter during operations. There was even an instance in the past when one of our men were shot in the performance of our duties,” the Intelligence chief said.
Morente renewed the warning to foreign nationals who do not adhere to the country’s laws saying, “we will not tolerate foreign nationals living and working in the country without proper visas.
“The BI will not rest until all undocumented aliens in the Philippines are hunted down and deported back to their home countries,” he warned.
The aliens were turned over to the BI’s Legal division pending deportation proceedings.
Meanwhile, the BI said it will bar entry to the country of foreign visitors coming from countries with localized coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as part of the government’s program to stop the spread of the deadly virus.
BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval also urged Filipinos to postpone non-essential travel, but said Filipino citizens, their foreign spouse and children and holders of permanent resident and diplomat visas will be allowed to enter the country in any international airport and seaports in the country.
She said it is best to defer for Filipinos to go abroad for leisure and do it once COVID-2019 has already been resolved, for everyone’s health and safety.
“This issue is already bigger than individuals, communities, or our country. It’s a worldwide concern hence we all do our part and make sacrifices to prevent the further spread of this virus,” Sandoval said.