Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado has reiterated that deportation of apprehended POGO workers is a priority of the agency amid reports that there are still more than 11,000 of them illegally staying in the country.
Viado made the statement in response to inquiries from the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights regarding the current status of deportation efforts.
He said the agency has expedited the deportation of foreign nationals involved in illegal operations, following President Marcos’ announcement of a total ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs),
During the hearing, Senator Risa Hontiveros asked the BI representatives why they allowed the use of tickets with connecting flights during the deportation proceedings.
“The longer these illegal aliens remain in the country while waiting for available schedules, the more the government incurs detention costs,” Viado explained.
“Our priority is to deport them at the soonest possible time, so we take whatever outbound ticket is available. The objective is to remove them from the country, and we will make sure that we will achieve this objective,” he said.
He emphasized that deportation requires three key documents: a valid passport or travel document, an NBI clearance to confirm no pending accountability, and an outbound ticket.
To expedite the process, the BI’s Deportation and Implementation Unit has coordinated with the NBI to issue clearances within one day.
“Our goal remains the same—to ensure their swift departure. Our priority is to have them out of Philippine soil as quickly as possible. Once this happens, we consider this a successful deportation,” he added.
The BI cited a case in January The BI cited a recent case in January where a group of deportees was repatriated in just two weeks, demonstrating the agency’s commitment to efficiency.
"Delaying deportations only increases government expenses, and we want to avoid that," he said.
"Delaying deportations only increases government expenses, and we want to avoid that," Viado said.