Centralized visa issuance proposed to stem entry of undesirable aliens

The House Quad Committee has proposed a centralized visa issuance to address the entry of unauthorized foreigners in the country, panel chairperson Robert Ace Barbers said Sunday.

Barbers told Super Radyo DzBB that this move is one of the QuadComm's suggestions in their partial report.

“Ngayon, maraming ahensiya ang pwedeng mag-issue ng visa so ang panukala namin ay magkaroon ng centralized system in the issuance of visas—whether this is a resident visa, student visa, or investor visa—para madali lang natin ma-monitor ang presensiya ng mga dayuhan sa bansa,” Barbers said.

(Right now, many agencies can issue visas, so we proposed to have a centralized system in the issuance of visas—whether it's a resident visa, student visa, or investor visa—to ensure smoother monitoring of the foreigners’ presence in our country.)

The Department of Foreign Affairs is responsible for the issuance of visas through Philippine diplomatic and consular Foreign Service Posts abroad.

Barbers added that the QuadComm also suggests the removal of the visa upon arrival, a special visa that foreigners can acquire upon arriving in the Philippines, rather than applying for it. 

“Itong proseso na ito ang isa sa naging ugat ng pagdami ng undesirable aliens, including undesirable Chinese na nagtrabaho sa mga POGO [Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators],” he said.

(This process has been the cause of the proliferation of undesirable aliens, including undesirable Chinese who work in POGOs.)

He added that the visa upon arrival program has good intentions but is being abused.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) earlier said a Korean fugitive was rearrested after he escaped with the help of a BI employee and boarded a BI vehicle.

Earlier this week, 13 Chinese fugitives were arrested during a POGO raid in Pasay City. — BM, GMA Integrated News