BI steps up measures to halt fake travel documents

The Philippines is intensifying its efforts to combat the use of fake travel documents, with authorities warning that trafficking syndicates are becoming “sophisticated” in their exploitation operations at the country’s borders.

The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) has issued an advisory to the public following reports of travelers using counterfeit CFO certificates, falsified employment contracts, and forged overseas work permits. 

“We cannot become complacent,” CFO Secretary Dante “Klink” Ang II said in a press release as he urged Filipinos to stay vigilant and transact only through legitimate channels.

According to the BI, recent cases intercepted by immigration authorities include groups posing as church missionaries who were later revealed to be recruited for illegal jobs abroad. 

In relation to this, Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado emphasized that the bureau has intensified border inspections at major airports and seaports. 

He also underscored that these cases highlight the urgent need for the agency’s ongoing modernization efforts. 

“Modernizing the systems of the BI has always been my drive. We are operating on an 85-year-old law, and our technologies are almost outdated,” Viado said.

The BI is also deploying more personnel at major airports as it expands the use of biometric systems and collaborates closely with the CFO, Department of Foreign Affairs, and law enforcement agencies to detect forged papers before travelers leave the country. —Anna Felicia Bajo/RF, GMA Integrated News