100 immigration officers to be assigned at NAIA to end queuing

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) promised to assign 100 immigration officers to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to prevent hour-long queues from forming at immigration counters, GMA 7 news program "24 Oras" reported on Tuesday.

"Just this afternoon po ay naka-identify na po kami ng at least 100 officers from our field offices and main offices para ma-deploy po within the week," explained BI Port Operations Division chief Marc Red Mariñas.

The lines are so long at immigration counters that passengers worry about missing their flights, while other travelers are exhausted by standing in line for so long.

The lack of immigration officers at the counters was due resignations, and work stoppages in protest to the lack of overtime.

President Rodrigo Duterte had vetoed a provision in the 2017 General Appropriations Act that allowed the BI to use express lane funds for officer's overtime pay.

BI Commissioner Jaimer Morente defended the decades old practice of directly spending its income for overtime pay and allowances. However, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the rates officers sought, which could be up to five times their usual rates, was against the law. — Rie Takumi/DVM, GMA News