Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. on Monday assured the public, particularly those having difficulties in securing their passports, that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is going after “fixers” in the department.
“Rest assured that the DFA is running after fixers,” Locsin said in his Twitter account.
Locsin made the statement after a concerned individual informed the DFA chief of an alleged modus of some employees within the agency, including those who have already retired from service.
The concerned netizen alleged that there is a “syndicate” of fixers within the agency who charge Filipinos unreasonable fees ranging from P2,500 to P3,500 for a slot and speedy processing of a passport.
The concerned citizen urged Locsin to order an investigation into the passport-fixing scheme.
Locsin also said the DFA will be opening more temporary offsite passport services (TOPS) located in malls in Metro Manila and other regions to accommodate the influx of applicants for passports.
On October 6, the DFA announced that six TOPS located in malls in Metro Manila will continue to operate until December 2021 to handle increasing passports appointments.
The six TOPS are located at the SM Mall of Asia, SM North EDSA, SM Aura, Robinsons Place Las Pinas, Robinsons Place Magnolia, and Ayala Glorietta 3.
“The department is also working to open more TOPS sites in other regions of the Philippines to serve more Filipinos living outside Metro Manila who need a passport,” the DFA said.
Locsin also encouraged the public to follow the DFA’s and Foreign Undersecretary Brigido Dulay’s social media account to be updated where the sites are.